Sixers' Possible Trade Target James Harden Concerned With Rockets' Direction

Ever since the Philadelphia 76ers hired former Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, the Sixers have continually found themselves linked in with rumors regarding Rockets guard, James Harden. 

It's no secret Morey is a huge fan of Harden. After all, he's the guy responsible for getting Harden into Houston, where the veteran guard thrived as he's been an All-Star participant for eight-straight seasons with the Rockets. 

A month hasn't even passed by since the 76ers hired Morey as the team's President of Basketball Operations, and the James Harden to the Sixers trade rumors have already been making rounds in the NBA rumor mill.

"I'm told Philadephia is expected to be interested in pursuing James Harden," Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last week. While the report was hardly shocking, the smoke surrounding a possible Harden trade is truly nothing more than smoke.

"As of right now, it is an emphatic no from the Rockets side," Charania continued. "It's really a non-starter for that organization." It makes sense for the Sixers to be interested in Harden as they're desperate for shooting upgrades.

But from the Rockets' point of view, they are still contenders. Getting rid of James Harden shows signs of a possible rebuild, which is not a direction they intend on taking ahead of the 2020-2021 NBA season. Does Harden buy it, though?

According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon, Harden has "expressed concerns" regarding the team's direction as they lost Morey and head coach Mike D'Antoni after a disappointing playoff exit this past season.

The report makes it clear Harden hasn't requested a trade at this time -- but that can change as the NBA's moratorium will be lifted later this month. Will the Sixers make a call for Harden? The chances are likely. However, don't count on Morey striking a deal -- especially not with a friendly discount.

The former Rockets General Manager might mean a lot to Houston's organization, but they aren't going to part ways with Harden for cheap. Houston will more than likely ask for Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons in return for Harden, which seems out of the question for the Sixers at this time. A lot can unfold in the coming weeks, but a 76ers trade involving James Harden doesn't exist right now.

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