Just over a calendar year after the Philadelphia 76ers were traded for him, James Harden looks set to make a move again.
On Thursday, he opted out of the final year of his contract, and it was reported that the Sixers would be looking to trade him.
Such a trade could come very soon, as insider Brett Siegel tweeted that it’s very likely Harden will be dealt before free agency officially begins at 6pm NYT on Friday, June 30th.
It’s very likely that the James Harden deal can be completed before free agency starts tomorrow.
– Brett Siegel (BrettSiegelNBA) June 29, 2023
Harden arrived in Brotherly Love City midway through last season when the Sixers dumped disgruntled Ben Simmons and turned him into the league’s former MVP.
The Philly likely felt Harden would be the final piece to the puzzle and finally help them win their first NBA championship since 1983, but the team failed to even make it to the Eastern Conference Finals with Harden on board.
While the guard isn’t quite as prolific as he was a few years ago as a member of the Houston Rockets when he was recording massive numbers, he’s still a very good player.
After transitioning to point guard full time in the past year or two, he has led the NBA in assists per game this season.
Harden shot so poorly from the field during the 2021-22 campaign that some felt he was on the decline, but this season he’s scored 44.1 percent overall and 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
The Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks are just two teams rumored to be interested in trading the ten-time All-Star Game.
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