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NBA News: James Harden Trade Status Gets Stunning Update – Wisconsin Sports Heroics
NBA News: James Harden has become one of the more controversial players in the entire NBA, that continued this week. In a shocking move, James Harden reportedly opted into his $35.6 player option with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he won’t be doing it to stay in Philadelphia. The opt-in will be to work with the Sixers to explore trade opportunities. James Harden’s preferred trade destination has even been leaked. Many are wondering how this pending trade even came to be. That may have just been answered.
James Harden’s Relationship With The Philadelphia 76ers Is Not In A Good Place
An article published by Sam Amick of The Athletic highlighted how unhappy James Harden is with the 76ers. It specifically mentioned how they handled his free agency. Amick joined Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports to discuss Harden’s trade request and more. Here is the exact quote from the podcast:
“There were two guys who were attached at the hip so to speak for so many years…but now, Vinny, and you know this, James is, they’re not attached at the hip anymore,” Amick said. “James is very unhappy, he’s very displeased with the way this whole thing was handled. I think he for sure thought that last summer when he gave $15 million back to help them get PJ Tucker and Danuel Haus that that was going to come back his way this summer. As they got closer to free agency, he was getting radio silence.”
One thing is clear right now, James Harden wants to go to the Los Angeles Clippers. Typically, James Harden has gotten whatever he’s ever wanted when it comes to trades. Some might expect the same thing to happen in this situation.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been linked to James Harden by a few sources since his trade was announced. However, it is fairly unlikely that trade will ever happen. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports did published an article that highlighted a scenario where the Milwaukee Bucks could land the 33-year-old star:
And here’s our other super team possibility. The odds here are even more remote. The small-market Bucks are even less equipped to pay a major luxury tax bill (though they did get a bit of a cash infusion when Jimmy Haslam bought a stake in the team this offseason).
They’d also have to address Harden’s controversial 2020 comments about Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I wish I was 7-feet, and could run and just dunk. That takes no skill at all. I have to actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I’ll take that every day.” Harden said at the time. There’s bad blood here.
But the Bucks have the matching salary in Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis, Marjon Beauchamp and Pat Connaughton. They have one tradable first-round pick (2029) and can offer swap rights on two others (2028 and 2030), and Beauchamp is probably worth a first-rounder himself.
If the price is low enough, there’s a viable deal here, and despite all of the depth it would cost Milwaukee, it’s worth noting that the Bucks were essentially willing to go into the 2020-21 season with their entire cap devoted to only five players when they nearly traded for Bogdan Bogdanovic. This would be a similar principle, albeit with a far better ball-handler.
As disliked as James Harden may be by Milwaukee Bucks fans, he’d bring an aspect to the game the team has been lacking in. Harden is the half-court shot-creator. The Bucks won a championship in 2021 with Khris Middleton primarily in that role, however, durability and consistency have been a concern for Middleton lately.
Even with the Bucks re-signing Middleton, they’re going to need someone else who can generate offense late in games. A five-man lineup of Harden, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez would be as well-rounded as any other team in the league. Still, it is unlikely to ever happen.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does James Harden have a PhD?
No, James Harden does not have a PhD. James is highly skilled in basketball and acclaimed for his basketball career, not for his educational background. His expertise lies in sports rather than academics.
Who is James Harden with now?
James Harden is currently with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He used to be a play for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he was traded to the Nets in a multi-team deal. Harden, the highly skilled guard has made a big impact on the Nets’ offense with his scoring and playmaking abilities.
James Harden has more than 300 dunks in his career, which is a remarkable achievement. Unlike most players, he consistently delivers impressive dunk performances, presenting his extraordinary athletic abilities.
No, James Harden does not have a PhD. James is highly skilled in basketball and acclaimed for his basketball career, not for his educational background. His expertise lies in sports rather than academics.
James Harden is currently with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He used to be a play for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he was traded to the Nets in a multi-team deal. Harden, the highly skilled guard has made a big impact on the Nets’ offense with his scoring and playmaking abilities.
McQuade Arnold is a Co-Owner of Wisconsin Sports Heroics (WSH). He graduated from American Military University with an associate in General Studies and is currently pursuing his Bachelors in Sports Marketing. McQuade has been active duty in the United States Navy for 10 years and is currently stationed in San Diego, CA. He is originally from Superior, WI and is a die hard Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Milwaukee Bucks fan. McQuade’s work for WSH has been featured on YardBarker, Bleacher Report, and MSN.
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