Basketball
James Harden Opts Into $35.6 Million Option to Seek Trade From Philadelphia 76ers
by privatebet.com - 2023/07/01
After two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden’s future is once again plagued with uncertainty. The veteran player opted into his $35.6-million contract for next season and he’s exploring possible trade scenarios with the Sixers. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks are expected to be among the potential suitors for the 10-time All-Star. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, they’re looking for a possible trade destination because they don’t see a long-term future with Harden. The Philadelphia 76ers will go through many changes next season, after firing the veteran coach Doc Rivers. He admitted that working with Harden was a challenge, but still described him as one of the best individual players to ever play the game. “It was challenging, more because we were fighting two things… It was that James is so good at playing one way, and the way I believe you have to play to win, in some ways, is different. Because it’s a lot of giving up the ball, moving the ball, coming back to the ball,” explained Rivers. Harden was traded to Philadelphia from the Brooklyn Nets in early 2022, and he agreed to a new two-year, $68.6 million deal later that year. Over the course of 79 regular-season games with the Sixers, he averaged 21 points, 10.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.