Insiders explain why James Harden’s trade saga could linger into the Sixers’ season

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — After star point guards Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, respectively, as part of an end-of-the-offseason flurry, it became reasonable to wonder if unhappy 76er James Harden would follow close behind.

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey reiterated on Monday, when Harden did not show up to the team’s media day in Camden, that those moves by Eastern Conference rivals did not affect his plan to wait for a Harden deal he deems suitable. Morey’s comments align with his approach to the Ben Simmons saga two seasons ago, which lingered until a deadline-day blockbuster with the Brooklyn Nets for, coincidentally, Harden.

Harden has since joined the Sixers for training camp at Colorado State and, according to comments on the record from players and coach Nick Nurse along with observations from sources around the team, has been mentally engaged and physically in shape. A report from The Athletic surfaced Thursday evening that the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden’s preferred destination, is revisiting trying to acquire him after talks with the Sixers dissipated in August.

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

Still, some outsiders — especially in a passionate Philly market — remain vocally antsy to quickly cut ties with Harden, to make a trade now (even if it is less-than-satisfactory) to end any potential drama, distraction or irritation. The belief inside the organization, a source recently told The Inquirer, is that such a move would be too reckless to justify. That it would all but guarantee the Sixers would drop to a lower tier — directly countering their goal to compete for contender status every season of Joel Embiid’s tenure — instead of maintaining some level of hope that they could re-enter that category in 2023-24.

Sources on both sides of the Harden situation concede they are taking things day-by-day. Or hour-by-hour. It’s still possible that Harden turns disruptive, as he did while forcing his way out of Houston in 2021 and Brooklyn the following year. Yet a source said Morey is unlikely to allow Harden’s behavior to force his hand to make a trade, because Nurse could bench Harden and let rising guard Tyrese Maxey gain experience as a primary ballhandler.

Embiid agreed with his team’s win-now sentiment during his media day session, saying “there should never be any lost seasons” for the rest of his career in Philly. Morey, who has built a reputation as an analytically driven and creative executive, has long shaped roster-building decisions on how they would impact his team’s immediate chances to win that season’s championship. That becomes even more critical with the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player in his prime.

The Sixers waiting on a trade leaves room for other teams to reassess their roster once the season gets underway, based on injury, performance or other variables. One may believe they need to make a splashy move to course-correct or ignite fan interest, or that a player of Harden’s caliber could vault them to a title-challenging level (or relevance). On Dec. 15, most players that signed as free agents this past summer become eligible to be traded, broadening the scope for potential packages and multi-team deals. The Collective Bargaining Agreement’s new restrictions on high-spending teams — and that the Sixers could have max cap space for the 2024 offseason — also offer potential for better players to be available on the trade market, and for the Sixers to become a useful partner.

This approach also accounts for the fact that star players around the league are constantly evaluating their team environments, and ask out when ready for change. This time two years ago, for instance, Harden had not yet turned disgruntled with the Brooklyn Nets. This time last year, Kevin Durant had reconciled with the Nets following a summer trade request — but then was sent to the Phoenix Suns at the deadline.

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

Should Harden continue to authentically reintegrate with the Sixers, his play could remind potential suitors that he averaged 21 points and a league-best 10.7 assists last season while shooting 38.5% on 7.2 three-point attempts per game. Exercising patience also keeps the (slight) possibility open that Harden rescinds his request and decides to play for the Sixers, though the team is still operating with the goal to honor his wish when the right deal unfolds.

Several star-level trades have occurred in-season in recent years, including Durant to the Suns and former Nets teammate Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks last February. Harden has been at the center of two of them in the past three seasons, when he moved from the Rockets to the Nets, and then to the Sixers.

Will Harden’s trip out of Philly join that list? Once the games begins, more pathways for such a move could finally emerge.