NBA Insider: Other Teams Have Interest in Sixers’ James Harden

James Harden is gaining interest from other teams, along with the Clippers.

With James Harden requesting a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers, only one team has been linked as a consistent suitor. Although the New York Knicks were initially mentioned as a team that might have an interest in Harden, the Los Angeles Clippers are by far the most serious suitors in this case.

One month into the Harden saga, the Clippers remain the top landing spot as Harden reportedly intends to play in Los Angeles next season. However, an NBA Insider recently revealed that there are other suitors in the market for the ten-time All-Star guard.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne offered an update on the Harden situation on Monday. Discussing the current state of the Harden saga, Shelburne mentioned that while the Clippers are still in the conversation, so are “a couple of other teams.” 

Has that changed the chances of Harden getting traded anytime soon? Not exactly. Shelburne added that the Sixers’ asking price remains high. They aren’t searching for a package full of role players. Instead, they want a player of Harden’s caliber in return.

“[Daryl Morey’s] made it very clear we’re not going to trade James Harden for anything less than a player that they think puts them on the same percentage to win a championship,” Shelburne said. “In Philly, they have this ‘What is your percentage to win a championship with the roster that you have?’ So that’s either a player comes back for James that helps them get there or a package that they can then use to get a player like that. As you know, that’s hard to get.”

The Sixers aren’t going to rush to trade Harden for the sake of making something happen, and there is a chance that history could repeat itself in multiple ways this upcoming season. Being in a similar position in the past, the Sixers could let the Harden saga drag out longer than desired as long as the Clippers and the other rumored suitors aren’t willing to up their offers.

On the other hand, Harden could play hardball and force the Sixers’ hand as he’s done in the past when he was a member of the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets. For now, it seems Harden won’t hold out from the Sixers, which is a good sign for Philadelphia. But the longer everything drags out, the more of a distraction it could become.

With trade talks gaining little traction at this time, it could be a long offseason for the Sixers, who are trying to figure out who will play alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey throughout the entire season.