Joel Embiid tried to connect James Harden at various off-season events this summer to convince him to stay in Philadelphia.
Well, with all those efforts just ended up to be of no use.
Although the Sixers reached the conference semi-finals with his power play, Harden publicly expressed that he is not interested to play for the Sixers anymore.
Harden requested a trade out of the Sixers, and with several spots available, he is eyeing only one team!
Averaging 21 points and ten assists last season, it is no doubt that the 10-time All-Star is still a valuable asset. Several teams have eyes on him.
However, Harden wants to play only for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Meanwhile, the ‘Beard’ has played alongside Paul George and Russell Westbrook, which could be a reason for this decision.
There are several answers to why Harden wants to leave.
A few being that, the shooting guard might have felt the Clippers would suit him better than the Sixers, or because he is unhappy with the franchise not making additions to the roster.
The 76ers’ efforts to find a trade partner for James Harden has not proven to be fruitful.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Philadelphia will cease trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old and bring him back for training camp ahead of the 2023–24 campaign.
Wojnarowski indicates that the Clippers and 76ers discussed a potential deal for Harden, but nothing materialized between the two sides.
Harden will turn 34 before the 2023-24 NBA season begins and is due to make $35.64 million this year before hitting unrestricted free agency.
As James Harden and the 76ers continue to discuss Harden’s future, his teammate and fellow MVP winner, Joel Embiid, offered insight on his reaction to learning of the star guard’s reported interest in playing somewhere other than Philadelphia.
Speaking to Showtime’s Rachel Nichols, Embiid admitted he was “disappointed” in hearing about his teammate and close friend’s desire to leave Philadelphia but understood the move is all about business.
While it’s unclear if Harden ultimately changes his mind, Embiid is still his teammate’s friend amid the latter’s rocky relationship with the team.
