Clippers May Not Be Enthusiastic About Idea of James Harden Trade

Star guard James Harden requested a trade from the 76ers and is angling to go to the Clippers. But are the Clippers all in on the idea?

It sure doesn’t seem like it. Zach Lowe of ESPN suggested as much, indicating that the Clippers’ interest is unclear.

Speaking on his podcast, Lowe described the Harden situation as being at a “total stalemate.” So it seems that the Sixers, Clippers and Harden aren’t making any progress toward … well, anything.

“There’s only really one team that he wants to go to, and that team is the Clippers,” Lowe said, via RealGM. “Their level of engagement here to me is unclear, not super enthusiastic.”

It is believed that if the Clippers did pursue Harden, they would only want to match salary in a trade — and not send anything noteworthy back to the 76ers. But if the Sixers are to deal Harden, they would want to make a splash with the return. At least, that’s the theory.

Another theory is Sixers president Daryl Morey and others are hopeful that Harden will eventually change his mind and decide to return.

“I don’t know what to make of the possibility that Harden would ever go back to Philly. I continue to hear from people who would know that the bridge is burned,” Lowe said. “But that’s what people who would know would say on July 17, with two months or whatever before training camp.”