James Harden has opted into his $35.6 million player option and is working on a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This is shocking, as Harden will now move to his next team. The Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks have emerged as suitors for Harden.
The star guard averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. Harden shot 44.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three.
Harden is one of the best playmakers in the NBA, as he led the league in assists per game this past season. The 34-year-old had a pair of 40-point masterpieces in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
While Harden is getting up there in age, he is still an impactful star guard. Los Angeles and New York are expected to pursue him and could be interesting landing spots.
Let's break down how Harden would fit with the Clippers and Knicks.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have been looking for a point guard to pair alongside their star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Harden would be an intriguing guard to add next to them.
However, the 76ers will want to remain competitive around Joel Embiid. They may ask for George, who has been in trade rumors this offseason. In this scenario, Los Angeles would build around Leonard and Harden, splitting up the duo of George and Leonard.
If the Clippers want to keep George, they can offer a package of Norman Powell, Marcus Morris, and draft capital. This would not be a very enticing offer for Philadelphia, who still wants to compete. However, that is the best the Clippers can offer if they are unwilling to part with George or Leonard.
Los Angeles is an interesting landing spot for Harden as the point guard and playmaker they have been lacking.
New York Knicks
The Knicks were an interesting name to come up in the Harden sweepstakes. They have Jalen Brunson as their starting point guard, who had a great season with New York.
However, Harden could move back to the shooting guard position and fit alongside Brunson. The Knicks were lacking a scoring punch in the playoffs this past season. Harden could help them be more consistent on the offensive end of the floor.
A trade package from New York has two options. They could part with Julius Randle, who has been an All-Star twice for New York but has been inconsistent in the playoffs.
If they want to keep Randle and add Harden into the mix, they could offer a trade package of RJ Barrett and one or two of their young guards: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, or Josh Hart. They would also have to trade away some of their draft capital, which they have plenty of with four-first rounders in 2024.
This is a shocking development that Harden wants to be traded. The Clippers and Knicks will prepare offers to land the All-Star guard. It will be interesting to see what kind of package the 76ers look for in return.
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