James Harden is expected to report to the Philadelphia 76ers’ training sessions in Colorado this week, but how long he remains with the franchise remains to be seen.
Harden has voiced his desire to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as the third star on the team, joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Sixers and Clippers haven’t made much progress on a potential deal.
SportsBetting.ag is offering -140 odds that Harden will be traded before Nov. 16, with the Clippers the odds-on favorite at -250 to land the disgruntled star – as they have been for much of the offseason. The book is offering +110 odds that he remains with Philadelphia past that date.
JAMES HARDEN NEXT TEAM ODDS*
Los Angeles Clippers (-250)
Chicago Bulls (+600)
Houston Rockets (+700)
New York Knicks (+900)
Miami Heat (+1000)
Atlanta Hawks (+1400)
Dallas Mavericks (+1400)
New Orleans Pelicans (+1600)
Toronto Raptors (+1800)
Memphis Grizzlies (+2000)
San Antonio Spurs (+2500)
*If traded before Nov. 16
Harden already has been paid 50 percent of the $35.64 million due to him this year — a prepayment option many players choose to take — according to ESPN.
Team president Daryl Morey said Monday that he continues to try to work on the trade front. If Harden returns to the 76ers and plays the upcoming season, new head coach Nick Nurse plans to get him involved.
“In terms of a trade, I will continue to work on those fronts and, if he’s here, then Coach will work with him on the court. I think it’s pretty straight forward,” Morey said. “He continues to seek a trade and we are continuing to work with his representation to find the best solution for the 76ers and all parties.”
A 14-year veteran who has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and 76ers, Harden has career averages of 24.7 points, 7.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 1,000 games (786 starts). He led the league in scoring three times, and last year, his 10.7 assists per game were the most in the NBA.
A 10-time All-Star, Harden was the league’s Most Valuable Player in the 2017-18 season and is a six-time All-NBA first-team selection.
The 76ers are at Colorado State through Friday, then will play their first preseason game on Sunday in Boston against the retooled Celtics.
–Field Level Media
