Will James Harden be a Sixer by Thursday night?
That's what he'd like, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported about six and a half hours before the NBA's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Wojnarowski reported Harden wants a trade to the Sixers but "has resisted making that formal request out of fear of the public backlash that would come with asking out of a second franchise in consecutive seasons."
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The 32-year-old was traded from the Rockets to Nets last January following eight tension-filled games with Houston. After a second-round playoff loss to the Bucks last season, Brooklyn is 29-25 and has lost nine games in a row. Harden has sat out the past three with left hamstring tightness and was also ruled out for the Nets' Thursday night matchup with the Wizards. Kevin Durant has been sidelined by a sprained MCL and Kyrie Irving is only eligible for road games because New York City has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate and he's unvaccinated.
ESPN reported Harden is "hopeful" that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will trade for him before the deadline, but that "Morey and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to become engaged in serious dialogue on a deal." As Rockets general manager, Morey acquired Harden from the Thunder in 2012. The Arizona State product has since made 10 consecutive All-Star games.
Harden's reported desire to head to Philadelphia does not at all guarantee a pre-deadline trade, but it's certainly significant. He has a player option for next season ($47.4 million) and it's not difficult to make the case that the Sixers find themselves in a strong position. Ben Simmons, who's missed the team's first 54 games after an offseason trade request, has three and a half years remaining on his contract.
Deals for star players aren't easy to hammer out — the Sixers and Nets naturally have different opinions of Harden and Simmons' value, the potential of their young players, etc. — but what a seven-time All-NBA selection wants is very important. On the morning of deadline day, Wojnarowski says Harden has his eyes on Philadelphia.