If the Clippers don't want Harden, who will trade for him?

James Harden. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

If the Clippers don't want James Harden, who will trade for him?

By Ethan Scott | Last updated 7/28/23

James Harden — who has played for three different teams since 2020 — wants to be traded from the Philadelphia 76ers. But it's clear the 33-year-old guard is no longer an MVP-caliber player and doesn't have the leverage he once did.

"Even the Clippers, Harden's preferred destination, have been fairly unserious about what they're willing to give up in order to acquire him. The prevailing sentiment seems to be that Harden is still valued, but on the team's terms, which is a shift from the franchise-defining clout Harden had at his peak," reported Kyle Neubeck, a senior writer for the Philly Voice.

The Beard has shared the court with some of the greatest players in NBA history, including Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid. But he has zero NBA titles.

James Harden’s notable teammates vs Dwyane Wade’s notable teammates

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 28, 2023

If the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were added to this mix, it'd be hard to find another player in NBA history who has played alongside such an illustrious list of talent throughout his career.

Ever since his tenure with the Houston Rockets from 2012-21, Harden seems increasingly reluctant to invest in making his current situation work. Once his relationships sour, as was the case with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn and now seems to be the case with Philadephia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey, Harden is ready to bounce.

"The relationship between James Harden and Daryl Morey is essentially severed, it's essentially fractured throughout this process," The Athletic's NBA insider Shams Charania reported.

Harden already opted into the final year of his contract worth $35.6M, so there's a possibility he will still be a 76er come opening night, especially if the Clippers (understandably) don't deal for him.

But if Los Angeles doesn't want him, who else could take him off the 76ers hands?

"If we don't get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, then we're just not going [trade him]," Morey told 97.5 The Fanatic, according to the Philly Voice.

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