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NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden Still Away from 76ers; Uncertain for Opener vs. Bucks – Bleacher Report
James Harden remains away from the Philadelphia 76ers while dealing with what’s being called a personal matter, leaving his status for Thursday’s season opener in doubt, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski reported it’s “increasingly uncertain” whether Harden will play against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 2018 NBA MVP has been the subject of trade rumors since requesting an exit from Philadelphia in June, but it does not appear the 76ers are close to making a deal.
The Los Angeles Clippers have long been Harden’s preferred destination and are seemingly the only team to express consistent interest. The lack of market for Harden has led to the Sixers being more than willing to play out an awkward situation, with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey being unwilling to take a deal he doesn’t find beneficial.
The Clippers’ potential trade packages are all unappealing, as they’d feature little more than middling veterans on expiring contracts and draft picks. Terance Mann, a 27-year-old role player, has even been made untouchable in talks, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Sixers have not disclosed details of Harden’s personal matter, but the situation is beginning to eerily resemble Ben Simmons’ holdout from two years ago. Like Harden, Simmons briefly showed up for training camp despite a trade request, only to vanish right before the season.
The Sixers held onto Simmons until the February 2022 trade deadline, at which point he was the centerpiece of the trade that brought Harden to Philadelphia.
Harden has repeatedly ripped Morey, seemingly in an attempt to force a trade, since his request became public. He called Morey a “liar” during a promotional event in China and went after him again during a meeting with the press at training camp.
“This is not even about this situation—this is in life,” Harden said of Morey. “When you lose trust in someone, it’s like a marriage … you lose trust in someone, you know what I mean? It’s pretty simple.”
The Sixers have leverage in this situation, given they could prevent Harden from entering free agency next summer if he withholds his services. That said, it appears we’re heading into yet another regular season with this organization dealing with some sort of saga.