Sixers Skeptical of Clippers’ Ability to Meet Trade Criteria for James Harden

All we really know at this point is star guard James Harden is upset with 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and says the relationship can’t be repaired.

We are also hearing that Harden is seeking a trade to the Clippers and that the Clippers and Sixers have indeed talked about a deal. But they are not close, multiple reports suggest.

The latest comes from Sam Amick of The Athletic, who wrote that the Sixers are seeking plenty in return for Harden. And plenty is not something the Clippers are willing to offer at the moment. They may not even have what the Sixers are seeking.

“The Sixers have been very skeptical of the Clippers’ ability to meet their trade threshold anytime soon, and believe that it would help Harden’s market — and the leverage element in regard to the Clippers — if he played like his former MVP self and reminded other teams that he’s worth pursuing,” Amick wrote.

Amick and Shams Charania also reported that the Clippers have been in contact with others to see if those teams may be able to pitch in and offer some draft capital to Philadelphia.

But as one source told Hoops Wire, no one is in any sort of hurry to help the Clippers, the Sixers, or for that matter, Harden. After all, for everyone else, having a disgruntled Harden with the Sixers may provide a competitive advantage.

Quite frankly, the best scenario would be for Harden and the Sixers to work this out and get back to the business at hand — which would be to compete for a championship. Harden, though, says he doesn’t want to play for the franchise, and that’s more than just any ordinary obstacle.