Are the Clippers beginning to have second thoughts about acquiring James Harden via trade?
The drama surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers’ star guard James Harden, who requested a trade over the summer, has been a major storyline leading up to the season.
Harden has been quite vocal about his desire to be traded to the Clippers, but as the season commenced on Tuesday, no deal had been finalized. Compounding the uncertainty, the 10-time All-Star did not accompany Philadelphia for their season opener against the Bucks on Thursday.
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As the future of Harden with the 76ers remains hazy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared further insights into the situation involving the guard and the Clippers on Wednesday night.
“I’m told that with the start of the season now, at least for the foreseeable future, the Clippers are stepping back from these trade talks about James Harden,” Wojnarowski said. “They’re essentially pausing them. They have talked with Philadelphia for months about a trade. They’ve made their best offer for Harden, and they’re now going to start their season and see what this team looks like with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, a healthy Paul George.”
Wojnarowski mentioned that the Clippers might reconsider a trade for Harden later in the season, but there’s a chance that Los Angeles has already presented their most favorable offer to Philadelphia.
Given Harden’s history of contentious behavior, one might question the wisdom of adding him to their roster at this juncture.
