Sixers could prohibit James Harden from entering free agency in latest twist to trade demand

Turns out, Harden has a good reason to report to camp. 

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported that if Harden is not traded and refuses to attend camp, the Sixers could prohibit him from hitting free agency next offseason. 

A clause in the CBA states that any player who "withholds playing services for more than 30 days after the start of the last season covered by his contract" could be considered to have violated his contract. In return, the player would be prohibited from entering free agency or signing with another professional basketball team "unless and until the team with which the player last played expressly agrees otherwise." 

Harden, who turns 34 years old in August, is entering the final year of a two-year, $68.6M contract. The 10-time All-Star opted into his $35.6M deal for the upcoming season prior to free agency in hopes of being traded. According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Clippers are considered Harden's preferred landing spot. 

Yet, despite Harden's wishes, the Sixers aren't jumping at the idea of unloading their star guard without yielding the proper haul in a trade. 

"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 to do it," Sixers GM Daryl Morey told 97.5 The Fanatic, via the Philly Voice.

With reigning MVP Joel Embiid hungry for a title and hinting at a future outside of Philly if the Sixers can't support him properly, Harden may want to gear up for another year in the City of Brotherly Love.