76ers Trade Target James Harden Makes Intentions Clear

Philadelphia 76ers trade target James Harden has made his intentions very clear as of late.

James Harden is no longer sold on the future of the Houston Rockets. As Houston lost in the second round last season and parted ways with the head coach and general manager, Harden hasn't been shy expressing his concerns.

At first, Harden's worries didn't seem serious. Despite addressing his fears regarding his team's future, he didn't try and force himself out of the situation at first. Fast forward a week later, and the situation is entirely different.

Not only has James Harden requested a trade from the Rockets this week, but he also turned down a significant extension offer. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets offered the 31-year-old guard a two-year contract extension worth over $100 million, making him the first player to receive $50 million-per-year.

Harden turned it down. The veteran All-Stars intentions are clear to Houston -- he wants to be traded to a contender that's ready to win now. For an interested team such as the Philadelphia 76ers, that's great news considering the Rockets didn't have any intention to even discuss a possible Harden deal a few weeks ago.

While the 76ers are reportedly on a shortlist of teams Harden would embrace a trade to; the veteran guard isn't pushing for Philly. Instead, Harden wants a reunion with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant. So, he's really pushing for a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

The good news for the Sixers is that Harden doesn't have all the leverage here. While teams tend to try and honor their star's requests, Houston doesn't have to send Harden to Brooklyn. However, the bad news is that Houston is still stubborn and unable to have a meaningful dialogue regarding a trade involving Harden.

It is believed the Rockets understandably want a star in return for their former MVP. If the Rockets are talking shop with the Nets, they want either Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant to be in a package. For the Sixers, Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons would have to be involved. Considering both the Nets and the Sixers have no intentions of splitting up their star duos, the Rockets' chances of trading Harden to either franchise seems slim unless something changes soon.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_