The Philadelphia 76ers are officially on the clock during this NBA offseason, with the team being tasked with trading superstar guard James Harden at some point between now and the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.
After opting into the final year of his contract with the 76ers, Harden informed the team that he’d like to be a traded, with his preferred destination being the Los Angeles Clippers.
Unfortunately for Harden, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, which means the 76ers can trade him anywhere, and he has no way to veto a trade that the team decides on.
With notoriously patient general manager Daryl Morey at the helm, this could become difficult for Harden, as Morey will do his due diligence on finding the best trade for Philadelphia.
One team, in particular, has been monitoring the Harden situation in Philadelphia, and that’s the New York Knicks, according to Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype, via Knicks Feed on Twitter.
“Teams around the league – especially the New York Knicks – are monitoring how the Harden saga plays out in Philadelphia and will affect the happiness of MVP Joel Embiid. The Knicks have long admired Embiid and have significant draft capital to dangle.”
– @MikeAScotto https://t.co/auuJjirnPu
— KnicksFeed & the Big Steppers (@knickzfeed) July 21, 2023
Although the Knicks are a team that has been able to turn it around with the addition of Jalen Brunson last year being a game-changer for the franchise, New York is still on the lookout for another star player to get them in contention with the top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference.
Even though Harden isn’t the MVP-caliber player of old, he can still be productive, as he proved by leading the league in assists last season.
However, it remains to be seen where these trade talks go in Philadelphia and if the 76ers are truly willing to agree to anything the Knicks might be willing to offer in a deal.
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