Getty James Harden
The Philadelphia 76ers likely aren’t getting a king’s ransom for James Harden. However, they can accumulate some assets back to trade for another possible star. If that’s their route, Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin proposed a trade between the Sixers and the Los Angeles Clippers that does just that.
Carlin proposed the following trade in an October 22 story.
Clippers receive: Harden
Sixers receive: Terance Mann, Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Future First-Round Pick, Pick Swap
“The Sixers know whatever they get from the Clippers will not put them over the top in the Eastern Conference.
“Getting Mann, the draft picks, and the expiring contracts of Morris Sr. and Covington allows them to have the assets to flip those pieces to acquire an impact player to help Embiid get it done. Either way, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has to nail this Harden deal. Whatever he gets from the Clippers, he has to have another plan in place to then flip those pieces for that impact player. This is a deal that gives him the assets to do so,” Carlin wrote.
This could very well be the best deal the Sixers can get for Harden. The tougher part will be who they can get with those assets. Covington and Morris are in the last year of their deals, as the latter is in the last year of a four-year, $64 million contract.
James Harden’s Status for Opening Night ‘Unclear’: Report
Harden has still not backed off his trade request, just like the Sixers have yet to grant it to him. With the season about to begin, Harden has remained away from the team, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps. Plus, no one knows if he will appear in the team’s season opener.
“Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden, who missed the final preseason game on Friday after skipping multiple practices, remains away from the team as it prepares for practice Monday,” Wojnarowski and Bontemps wrote in an October 23 story. “It is increasingly unclear if Harden will be available to play in the Sixers’ regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, sources told ESPN.”
This is unsurprising news since Harden has indicated that he is not budging from his trade request. Harden missing the game would also hurt the matchup’s entertainment value since the Bucks and Sixers were two of the top teams in the East.
Nick Nurse Reached out to James Harden
Despite the writing on the wall, Sixers head coach Nick nurse told reporters that he has tried to contact Harden.
#Sixers coach Nick Nurse on reaching out to James Harden: “I did reach out to him the other day … just via text like I would with anybody. See how he’s doing. See if he’s alright. He did text me back.”
On if the exchange gave Nurse a sense that Harden wanted to return? “Didn’t…
“I did reach out to him the other day just via text like I would with anybody. See how he’s doing. See if he’s alright. He did text me back,” Nurse told reporters, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.
Nurse said the two of them didn’t discuss a return because Nurse wanted to be sure that Harden was alright.
“Didn’t get into any of that. I was just making sure he’s okay.”
Even if Harden never plays for the Sixers again, Nurse is doing his due diligence as a coach to develop a rapport with his players.
Harden raved about Nurse when he spoke to reporters on October 13, so it’s clear that Harden’s issues have nothing to do with his new head coach.