In their ongoing quest to acquire Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden, the Los Angeles Clippers are actively seeking to accumulate additional future draft picks, as reported by Zach Harper and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Charania stated, “I’m told LA has continued to pursue additional draft assets from other teams in order to improve their offer to the 76ers.”
Throughout the offseason, the Clippers have persistently pursued a trade for Harden. However, the Philadelphia 76ers’ President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, has remained resolute in his insistence on receiving a substantial package in exchange for the 10-time All-Star. Follow your favourite basketball team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet, one of the best basketball gambling sites.
It has been suggested that Morey is the key figure in the ongoing trade talks, effectively holding up the deal, as reported by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
While the Clippers appear to be the sole contender for Harden’s services, they face the challenge of not having control over their own first-round draft pick until 2027.
Harden, aged 34, has chosen to exercise his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season, all while anticipating a trade. With the 76ers’ season opener on the horizon, slated for October 26, the expected trade has yet to materialize.
In a conversation with reporters, Harden opted not to mention Morey by name, instead referring to him as “the front office” while discussing Philadelphia’s loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as revealed by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“Me and the front office had a very, very good relationship for a decade,” Harden commented. “There was constant communication, you know what I mean? There was no communication once we lost.”
Harden is resolute in his desire to play for a different team, and it appears that the Los Angeles Clippers are determined to finalize a deal before the commencement of the regular season. Get the latest updates from the world of basketball only on Nextbet Sports.
Harden expressed his trust in people he has known for a decade, saying, “For me, it’s just trusting the people that you’ve known for a decade. When I got traded here, my whole thing was I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer. The front office didn’t have that in their future plan. It’s literally out of my control,” as reported by Bontemps.
