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The long, drawn-out process of James Harden leaving the Philadelphia 76ers continues.
For months now, we have known that Harden wants to depart the Sixers and intends to join the Los Angeles Clippers.
But that goal isn’t as cut-and-dry as Harden would like, partly because of the situation the Clippers are in.
Speaking on his podcast, Bill Simmons discussed a major fear for the Clippers: they are competing solely against themselves and have to put up an awful lot or else they miss out on Harden.
“The fear would be that if you wait two months, then all of a sudden Miami’s like, ‘Yeah, we’ll take [James Harden],’” Simmons said, after listing all the assets they’d have to offer to interest the Sixers.
“Isn’t the fear for the Clippers, Who are we bidding against? We have to give you a pick, Mann, some sort of swap & there’s not one other bidder in there…The fear would be that if you wait 2 months then all of a sudden Miami’s like ‘Yeah, we’ll take [James Harden]’” @BillSimmons https://t.co/OKx6E02HoW pic.twitter.com/SgPr4SBe2t
— Dru (@dru_star) October 20, 2023
There are no other teams in the mix for Harden.
This means that the Sixers and Clippers are stuck with each other in these negotiations unless LA just wants to sit out of it completely.
It’s also complicated because Philadelphia wants a lot in return for Harden.
They know that despite all his off-court drama, he is still an extraordinary player, and they require A-list talent if they are going to part ways with him.
But the Clippers only have so much they’re willing to offer.
And Simmons’ point is true: if they really want Harden, they will need to move because the Sixers could end up ultimately sending him to Miami or any other team a few months down the line.
If they are serious about getting him, they will need to act quickly.
But if they want to act quickly, they have to offer a lot to make Philadelphia happy.
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