With training camp set to begin Tuesday at Colorado State University for the Philadelphia 76ers, the James Harden saga remains unresolved. The future Hall of Famer has made it known he wants out of the City of Brotherly Love sooner rather than later.
Harden’s trade request was a big talking point of the offseason along with Damian Lillard’s trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers. It was widely assumed Lillard would end up with the Miami Heat, his preferred destination, but when the two sides could not come to an agreement on a deal, the Blazers sent Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal.
The Heat must figure out their next move, and some believed they could turn their attention to Harden. However, per The Miami Herald, that does not appear to be the case:
The Heat is not expected to pursue Harden who is due $35.6 million this season and is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Harden still has his eyes set on the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Clippers have not offered the Sixers what they are looking for in a deal. While Harden may be on the downside of his career, the Sixers are not going to just trade one of the elite playmakers in the league for just anything.
The Sixers still expect Harden to attend training camp on Tuesday. One has to expect that he will when considering the CBA clause in which the Sixers could block Harden from entering free agency if he misses out on team activities for 30 days. Will he be the most engaged player in practice? Probably not when considering his past history, but that remains to be seen.
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