Source: Clippers’ pick-swap plan doesn’t move needle for Sixers in James Harden negotiations

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — James Harden’s holdout has ended, but he is still not all the way back.

But will it matter? Will Harden remain a 76er long enough to partake in a scrimmage?

The three-time scoring champion wants to play for his hometown Los Angeles Clippers. But the Clippers plan to add draft-pick swaps in a package for Harden may not move the needle for the Sixers, according to a league source.

The source confirmed the Sixers are interested in the type of deal that would center around Clippers guard Terance Mann and first-round picks. They’ll continue to explore all options related to Harden’s trade request as other teams continue to monitor the situation.

The Athletic reported Thursday that the Clippers have been talking to multiple teams in an effort to acquire draft-pick swaps for the Sixers.

But for now, he hasn’t fully participated at Sixers training camp.

The disgruntled point guard was said to be in good shape upon joining the team at Wednesday’s training camp practice. However, he has yet to scrimmage.

It could have to something to do with not being in game shape.

After requesting a trade, Harden did not join the Sixers for the open runs at UCLA led by assistant coach Rico Hines this summer in Los Angeles. Nor did he work out with the Sixers at the team’s practice facility in Camden before the start of training camp.

“He’s just not quite ready to do the live stuff, but inching closer to that,” coach Nick Nurse said Thursday after a 1-hour, 45-minute practice at Colorado State University. “We got pretty much the first 50 minutes or hour or so where we are doing a lot of technique, a lot of the drills, and putting in a lot of the things. He’s doing that. He’s doing that at a really high level.

“I don’t think it’s going to be too much longer. … I mean, he wants to play, too. We’re just making sure he’s ready to go.”

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Nurse said Harden’s progress is just the ramp-up process.

“He’s good, though,” the coach said. “He looks like to me he’s ready to go, but he knows who he is. And Simon [Rice, the Sixers’ vice president of athlete care] wants to make sure, too, you don’t do something too early for somebody.

“So we’ll keep it rolling and see when we’ve got him out there for the scrimmages here soon.”

Harden needs to enter this “ramp-up” process because he held out after becoming upset that the Sixers failed to meet his trade demands. He even called Sixers president Daryl Morey “a liar” and said he would never play for an organization led by Morey.

He missed Monday’s media day in Camden and the first day of training camp Tuesday as part of the holdout. But the 34-year-old joined the team here Wednesday. Nurse said he looked good that day and gave every indication that he plans to finish the rest of camp.

Harden hasn’t spoken to the media since his return. He chuckled with Hines and other assistants following practice before attempting two corner threes on his way out of the gym.

» READ MORE: James Harden participated in practice at Sixers training camp: ‘We expect him to be here now’

“He’s been doing a little bit of stuff,” center Joel Embiid said. “He hasn’t played, but his energy has been great. He’s been around. And I think he’s great, coming in and not being a distraction.”

The Sixers will conclude their training camp Friday before traveling to Boston. After practicing in Beantown on Saturday, the Sixers will open their four-game preseason slate against the Celtics on Sunday at TD Garden.

They open the regular season in Milwaukee on Oct. 26 against the Bucks.

But if the Sixers get their asking price from a team, there’s a chance Harden may not be a Sixer by then.