Harden stalemate persists as Sixers reportedly end trade talks

Still nothing to see here if you’re looking for major momentum toward a James Harden trade.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday night that the Sixers have “ended trade talks” involving Harden and plan to bring him back to training camp.

Though notable, that is not a stunning development whatsoever. As Sixers president of basketball Daryl Morey outlined in a July interview with 97.5 The Fanatic’s Anthony Gargano, the Sixers have held the view that a Harden trade would need to give them “either a very good player or something that we can turn into a very good player.” 

For many reasons, it hasn’t appeared probable that such a deal would quickly materialize. Harden wants to play for his hometown Clippers, whose future draft picks are obviously not perceived the same way around the NBA as those of a less competitive team in a less attractive destination. And though the Clippers absolutely have several non-star players that could help most teams — Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Robert Covington, etc. — it’s easy to see why the Sixers wouldn’t be compelled to accept a bits-and-pieces sort of package and believe doing so would eventually aid in landing an elite talent. 

If they knew what to expect from Harden, everything would be simpler for the Sixers. However, there’s been nothing to indicate he’s shifted his thinking. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Saturday that Harden, who exercised his $35.6 million player option in late June, still “no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans of taking part in training camp.” 

It’s thoroughly unclear if Harden will change his mind and when that might happen. While the 10-time All-Star had a long, positive relationship with Morey up until this offseason, that does not seem pertinent now. Morey acknowledged in his 97.5 The Fanatic interview that Harden was “wishing for a different situation contractually” and isn’t currently amenable to playing for the Sixers again. 

Harden will turn 34 years old in two weeks. Around the NBA, training camps will open on Oct. 3. The Sixers start the preseason on Oct. 8 and they’ll reportedly begin the regular season on Oct. 26 against the Bucks.

Harden is coming off of an exceptionally hot-and-cold postseason. He exceeded 40 points in two of the Sixers’ three second-round playoff wins over the Celtics. Across the team’s four losses, he shot 21.8 percent from the floor. 

Meanwhile, the Sixers have 13 players in addition to Harden on standard NBA contracts. Among them are Montrezl Harrell, who was diagnosed with a torn ACL earlier this month, and Filip Petrušev, whose contract has a 50 percent guarantee for the 2023-24 season. 

The Sixers this summer have added Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba and matched the offer sheet Paul Reed signed with the Jazz. They’ve seen Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels and Shake Milton join new teams in free agency. The team has one open roster spot and signing a wing would be a logical way to fill it.

At this stage, it appears safe to say Nick Nurse’s 2023 training camp will be very interesting beyond the normal adjustments that come with coaching a new team.