Following his noticeable absence from media day, James Harden has joined the Philadelphia 76ers at training camp in Fort Collins, Colorado, taking part in exercises on the first two days of practice. But that doesn’t mean he’s content.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, despite being “an engaged and positive participant” during training camp, Harden’s trade request is still on the table.
So far, head decision-maker Daryl Morey has refused to trade Harden to his preferred destination of the Los Angeles Clippers, stating that he will not make a move unless his price tag is fulfilled.
Morey and the 76ers reportedly turned down a Clippers offer earlier this summer. According to Amick:
According to league sources, the Clippers offered the Sixers an unprotected first-round selection, a pick swap, and salary for Harden in July, but Philadelphia has set a far higher bar.
According to insiders, the Sixers have placed a high value on fifth-year forward Terance Mann and several first-round picks in a prospective trade with the Clippers. Mann, who averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds last season, has grown in popularity among NBA teams in recent years.
According to Amick’s report, the Clippers have approached multiple clubs about moving pick swaps to garner additional draft money as they try to put together a more appealing package.
Mann’s departure would be difficult, since the energetic 26-year-old can cover numerous roles and is a career 38% 3-point shooter.
He’s also one of the few Clippers who has stayed on the court consistently, missing only two games in the last two seasons.
For Harden, this is both good and terrible news. On the one hand, he must be relieved that the Clippers are still interested in pursuing further trade options.
On the other hand, he can’t be happy that the two teams are still so far apart, with the regular season starting in less than three weeks.
Harden is avoiding a fine by participating in camp, as we witnessed with Ben Simmons a few years back.
Amick also says that Harden believes that making a distraction is not the best course of action because he is hoping for a trade.
“He’s arrived. On Thursday, Joel Embiid said of Harden, “He’s practicing with us, and that’s all we know.” “However, as I already stated, we are not focused on it. We’re just trying to get the offense and defense working together and figure out how to play together.”