Kofi Inkoom
NBA star James Harden caused a stir by openly criticizing Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, on Monday, calling him a liar and expressing his unwillingness to be part of any organization with Morey.
While there have been reports of Harden’s desire to join the Los Angeles Clippers, negotiations between the 76ers and the Clippers have hit roadblocks.
According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, Harden is now considering other potential teams. However, there appears to be limited speculation linking the ten-time All-Star to other franchises.
Also, according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, there is currently a lack of significant interest from teams like the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks regarding the potential acquisition of Harden.
When James Harden exercised his player option for the upcoming 2023-24 season, the Miami Heat were initially linked to him. However, this was before Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers expressed his desire for a trade.
Damian Lillard is determined to join the Heat, and they seem to be focusing exclusively on acquiring him, sidelining the pursuit of Harden. Among the other teams Eric Pincus mentioned, there are questions about how Harden would fit in.
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For the Chicago Bulls, their top scorers are currently DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Interestingly, LaVine has reportedly been discussed in trade talks between the 76ers and Bulls. It’s possible that the Bulls view Harden as a better fit for their current lineup, even though he is older than LaVine by five years.
The Dallas Mavericks have recently re-signed Kyrie Irving and are heavily invested in the duo of Irving and Luka Doncic. Given this, adding a player like Harden might not align well with their team strategy, especially considering their need for frontcourt assistance. Additionally, Irving and Harden’s previous tenure as teammates on the Brooklyn Nets wasn’t notably successful.
The New York Knicks seem poised to make a trade for a superstar, given their amassed assets. However, they might have their sights set on a younger player, with ongoing rumors linking them to Donovan Mitchell, a former target for the Miami Heat.
Harden demonstrated his continued ability to contribute and take on a leading role last season, averaging 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
It appears unlikely that Harden will join the Miami Heat this season, leaving fans with the hope of seeing him in a Heat uniform for now.