A few months after the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to look to trade James Harden, he is still a member of the team, and he remains at odds with management.
Harden didn’t attend practice on Wednesday, and the 76ers could be dealing with a situation that could get worse with time, especially after he called executive Daryl Morey a “liar” several weeks ago.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been trying to trade for the former league MVP, and they remain, by far, the betting favorite to land him, per Action Network.
Where will James Harden land? 🤔
Next team odds via @DKSportsbook ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/V6qiRFM7th
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 18, 2023
Reportedly, the Sixers have dropped their asking price to Terance Mann, an unprotected first round pick, and a pick swap, but the Clippers do not want to part with Mann, who has been an important depth piece for them over the last couple of seasons.
Philly has had, at least in their minds, a championship-caliber team over the past two or three years, and this Harden saga has cast a dark cloud over them.
Right now, center Joel Embiid, the reigning regular-season MVP, is at the peak of his powers, and guard Tyrese Maxey appears to be a rising star, so the team needs to maximize the opportunity it has right now.
The rest of the Eastern Conference, particularly the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, has gotten stronger, and the 76ers will need to get in on this arms race in order to win their first NBA championship since 1983.
They haven’t even gotten to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, and they have gone home in the second round of the postseason in each of the last three years.
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