Accordingly, the Los Angeles Clippers are withdrawing from trade negotiations with the Philadelphia 76ers for star guard James Harden ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. While the team could re-enter Harden talks later in the season, the focus for now is on seeing how the current roster, presumably with a healthy Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, will open the season.
The delay in negotiations at this point appears to be Terance Mann, a 27-year-old winger who is being considered as a full-time starter for the first time this season. The Clippers reportedly offered a first-round pick and a first-round trade for Harden, but the 76ers held out on signing Mann as well.
The Clippers open their season on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 76ers face the new-look Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Harden reported to the team for the flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday, but the 76ers asked him to remain in Philadelphia and work out with the training staff for an eventual return because he had not practiced since Oct. 15.
At this point, the Clippers are the only team known to be seriously pursuing Harden. However, that could change at any time. Some competitors are starting slow and wondering whether to make a big addition. Other teams lower in the table will exceed expectations and wonder if a big trade could get them over the top. The longer the Clippers wait, the more likely it is that someone else will enter the fray. Of course, the 76ers are exposed to a certain amount of risk here too. If the Clippers play well early in the season, they might decide against making a trade.
Philadelphia has been waiting for a superstar on the trade market before. He waited eight months to trade Ben Simmons in the 2021-22 season and was rewarded with Harden. Only time will tell if they will be rewarded again, but this news suggests we may be in for a similar wait.