(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers pretty much shocked the NBA world on Thursday evening.
Just when everybody thought Harden would opt out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, he opted in to try and force a trade out of the City of Brotherly Love.
This was a rather unorthodox move but one that could be beneficial for both parties, especially himself, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
.@WindhorstESPN has the details of James Harden exercising his $35.6M player option:
“There isn’t a strong market for James Harden right now. The Sixers were positioning themselves to try to force him into a disadvantageous position, and so he elected to opt into his contract.” pic.twitter.com/FoG2327GTW
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 30, 2023
Windhorst explained that Harden and Daryl Morey cooperated last season so he could take a pay cut, and they brought in P.J. Tucker, but that sense of cooperation was no longer there, and they were on opposite sides.
However, given that the market for Harden wasn’t really there, he had limited options for a new contract, and, as such, he wasn’t likely to make that much money.
Now, by opting in, he could pretty much be moved anywhere, with the Sixers looking to get rid of his big salary and recoup some assets in return.
Windhorst also confirmed the Los Angeles Clippers’ interest in trying to make a run at him, although it seems quite unlikely that they’ll be able to pull it off without giving up either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard.
The Portland Trail Blazers could also strike as a logical destination, considering Damian Lillard’s desire to play with another star and make a run at an NBA championship, although there haven’t been any reports of them being interested in trading for the aging superstar.
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