Los Angeles was the ideal city for Harden, but a deal couldn't be reached.
Approximately a month ago, the Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the conclusion of trade discussions involving James Harden. Despite this, Harden expressed his reluctance to return to training camp and made it clear that he still hoped for a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.
However, recent information from ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggests that the Clippers have also ended trade talks concerning the Sixers' guard. Windhorst discussed this development in a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast, revealing that Philadelphia attempted to trade for Harden, but ultimately, the Clippers decided to end the negotiations. He mentioned, "[The Clippers] tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen. And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.”
The Clippers were seen as a favorable destination for Harden leading up to the 2023-24 season. In June, Harden had formally requested a trade from the 76ers and had even exercised his $35.6 million USD player option for the upcoming season. While Harden had also considered the New York Knicks as a potential landing spot, no substantial progress was made in trade discussions between the two teams. As the NBA season is set to commence in October, it appears that Harden will continue with the Sixers for the time being. However, the nature of the conversations between management and the player remains uncertain, particularly given Harden's public dissatisfaction with the team's front office.
