Sixers Seem Hopeful in Potential James Harden Return

Could James Harden play for the Sixers again?

When James Harden picked up his player option with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2023-2024 NBA season, he shocked the basketball world for two reasons.

For starters, Harden was widely expected to decline the option and search for a multi-year deal in free agency. As it was clear his top two suitors weren’t willing to give Harden a contract valued in the max range, Harden decided to do what he was expected not to do by picking up the option.

The second shocking move of the summer was Harden requesting a trade. Throughout the offseason, Harden was expected to return to the Sixers or reunite with the Rockets. Suddenly, Harden reportedly wants to be traded away from the 76ers to land with the Los Angeles Clippers.

When the start of free agency approached last Friday, many believed the Harden trade saga would be solved rather quickly. Nearly a week later, the star guard remains un-traded, and the narrative has already shifted a bit.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers “would still love to keep” Harden in Philadelphia.

“Daryl Morey, their president, he’s got a long history with James Harden, and certainly, I think if there’s a way as the summer goes on to try to convince him that they can still make this work together, that he has a chance to compete for a championship, they’ve got a new coach Nick Nurse with the Sixers.”

Going into the 2023 offseason, Daryl Morey publicly stated that the team’s number one plan is to retain Harden. It seems the Sixers could’ve accomplished that goal with a multi-year contract, but rumors suggested the Sixers don’t want to commit to a 33-year-old Harden long-term.

That puts the Sixers in a pickle, as they are taking calls from teams like the Clippers, gauging the price for Harden at this time.

Per Wojnarowski, the Sixers-Clippers discussions surrounding Harden aren’t close to concluding with a deal. Similar to how the Sixers navigated the Ben Simmons scenario two years ago before landing Harden, the Sixers are expected to hold out on any real discussions until a deal worth their while comes across their lap.

Perhaps, time will heal all and Harden will give the Sixers another shot. Or, maybe the Clippers decide one of their more valuable assets can be the key to getting a deal done. The situation remains unclear at this time, but nothing should be ruled out at this point.