Woj: Harden Opting into $35.6M Player Option and Demanding Trade from Philly; Wants to Play for the Clippers

[Jadoogar]

Why would anyone trade for Harden?


Seriously.

.

Because he is still a top 15 player in the association

On an expiring contract
At age 33
who has demanded a trade 3 teams in 3 years

but yea aside from all that, great player.

[HotelVitale]

So embarrassing for the Sixers. I can't believe they lowballed another star. Who could they possibly get that could be better than James Harden now? It's not like they are a poverty franchise, they could have paid him what he wanted. Once again the Clippers have a star fall into their lap. And somehow I still don't see this working out for them.

This. first butler and now Harden. The sad part is they get lucky with Harden having to opt-in and will get a return instead of just losing him in free agency.

I know you're probably just stuffing it to the Sixers now, but the Sixers obviously can't pay a 5-year max to a 34 year-old who's clearly in decline. I get that Harden's upset with that, and thinks that he was owed after his pay cut last summer, but it's just not a move that the Sixers could make. It locks the team in exactly as it is now, and the team was already clearly not good enough or right this PO, and its hope for better outcomes obviously can't be tied to Harden as he enters progressively greater decline.

I get it's fun to take potshots at bad situations, but there's zero chance you would want your team to offer that contract.

(Also Butler was a total disaster but it was also a totally different FO at the time).

[Johnny Bball]

So embarrassing for the Sixers. I can't believe they lowballed another star. Who could they possibly get that could be better than James Harden now? It's not like they are a poverty franchise, they could have paid him what he wanted.

Once again the Clippers have a star fall into their lap. And somehow I still don't see this working out for them.

This. First Butler and now going back on their word to Harden. The sad part is they get lucky with Harden having to opt-in and will get a return instead of just losing him in free agency.

[RunOKC]

Next up will be Embiid demanding a trade out of Philly. Damn. What a mistake it was to give Doc a shot there.

This is waaaaaayyyyy bigger than Doc lol. No one wants to really play in Philly it seems. I don't think many dudes want to play for a "Super Team" in a cold weather city, first of all.

Second, Philly has been a sh*t show for over 10 years now. They actually tried to rebrand tanking and call it "The Process." This organization has been the face of purposely sucking for an entire NBA generation.

The Thunder, Rockets, Magic, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz have all willfully tanked, and have done it just as bad if not worse than the Sixers. The Thunder the worst of them all. Not a peep from Adam Silver.

The Thunder had two down years

"The Process" lasted like 7 years

[NBA4Lyfe]

Why would anyone trade for Harden?


Seriously.

.

Because he is still a top 15 player in the association

On an expiring contract
At age 33
who has demanded a trade 3 teams in 3 years

but yea aside from all that, great player.

players get paid on their regular season performance, and hardens regualr season performance is still of a top 13 player in the nba

[HotelVitale]

This is waaaaaayyyyy bigger than Doc lol. No one wants to really play in Philly it seems. I don't think many dudes want to play for a "Super Team" in a cold weather city, first of all.

Second, Philly has been a sh*t show for over 10 years now. They actually tried to rebrand tanking and call it "The Process." This organization has been the face of purposely sucking for an entire NBA generation.

The Thunder, Rockets, Magic, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz have all willfully tanked, and have done it just as bad if not worse than the Sixers. The Thunder the worst of them all. Not a peep from Adam Silver.

The Thunder had two down years

"The Process" lasted like 7 years

OKC is a really bad example but the point is a good one. The Process lasted less than 4 years start to finish, Sixers won 50+ games and made the 2nd rd the 5th season. That's much better track record than teams like DET, ORL, CHA, SAC, MIN etc who were also treadmilling in 2013 when the Process started and still haven't gotten that far in ANY season let alone the last 5 like Philly. And again that's despite an absolute disaster of a two-year stretch under Colangelo and Brett Brown when the team pissed away an amazing set of opportunities one after another.

[Jadoogar]

Because he is still a top 15 player in the association

On an expiring contract
At age 33
who has demanded a trade 3 teams in 3 years

but yea aside from all that, great player.

players get paid on their regular season performance, and hardens regualr season performance is still of a top 13 player in the nba

Whoever trades for him will not be able to extend him because he was only a 2 year deal. Who's to say he won't get unhappy again and leave next summer? He's already done it 3 times.

[best of luck]

Orlando only traded away the core of Vuc, Gordon and Fournier in March 2021 and think they are in a much better position now for it.

[NYPiston]

Always drama around this guy and a lot of the top guys from his era. It'll be a good day for the league when these goofs retire.

[QingJames]

Booooom. Thank God!

Totally! Now you get to watch the Embiid solo show get slapped in the first round every year instead of the second!

[LordCovington33]

So embarrassing for the Sixers. I can't believe they lowballed another star. Who could they possibly get that could be better than James Harden now? It's not like they are a poverty franchise, they could have paid him what he wanted. Once again the Clippers have a star fall into their lap. And somehow I still don't see this working out for them.

This. first butler and now Harden. The sad part is they get lucky with Harden having to opt-in and will get a return instead of just losing him in free agency.

I know you're probably just stuffing it to the Sixers now, but the Sixers obviously can't pay a 5-year max to a 34 year-old who's clearly in decline. I get that Harden's upset with that, and thinks that he was owed after his pay cut last summer, but it's just not a move that the Sixers could make. It locks the team in exactly as it is now, and the team was already clearly not good enough or right this PO, and its hope for better outcomes obviously can't be tied to Harden as he enters progressively greater decline.

I get it's fun to take potshots at bad situations, but there's zero chance you would want your team to offer that contract.

(Also Butler was a total disaster but it was also a totally different FO at the time).

The same guy who takes shots at embiid whenever he can, so no point wasting your time

[MAMBAEMD]

On an expiring contract
At age 33
who has demanded a trade 3 teams in 3 years

but yea aside from all that, great player.

players get paid on their regular season performance, and hardens regualr season performance is still of a top 13 player in the nba

Whoever trades for him will not be able to extend him because he was only a 2 year deal. Who's to say he won't get unhappy again and leave next summer? He's already done it 3 times.

That’s been his modus operandi in the last few years.

He decides to go wherever he wants, and if it doesn’t work out or if he doesn’t like the place, no problem! He just forces his way out.

He’s not shown any allegiance to the city or team that he has gone to lately.

He also has no allegiance to playing defense.

[hauntedcomputer]

If the clippers had to give up Paul George it wouldn’t make sense to do the trade.

You think they wanna lock into this George/Kawhi team long-term to be deep in the tax and have them never healthy together for a postseason? I think the clippers might just be excited to get off of George and still get something back for him. Like if he opts in next year, I don’t even know that they wanna pay that.

Ballmer doesn't care about the luxury tax. He'd trade half his fortune for one ring. A wild gamble is the only real move. But this won't do it.

The laughs will be great, though. Lots of Baby Ballmer Bawling Face.

[HotelVitale]

The Thunder, Rockets, Magic, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz have all willfully tanked, and have done it just as bad if not worse than the Sixers. The Thunder the worst of them all. Not a peep from Adam Silver.

The Thunder had two down years "The Process" lasted like 7 years

OKC is a really bad example but the point is a good one. The Process lasted less than 4 years start to finish, Sixers won 50+ games and made the 2nd rd the 5th season. That's much better track record than teams like DET, ORL, CHA, SAC, MIN etc who were also treadmilling in 2013 when the Process started and still haven't gotten that far in ANY season let alone the last 5 like Philly.

Orlando only traded away the core of Vuc, Gordon and Fournier in March 2021 and think they are in a much better position now for it.

Um, you guys averaged like 28 wins per season for EIGHT seasons with those guys. You were over .500 one time in that stretch. If that doesn't count as part of a long rebuild, and you think of it as the time before you blew it up, then yeah you're making the point perfectly that a 4-year Process strategy worked better than that 8-year disaster PLUS another rebuild that's in its 3rd season.

[Slacktard]

This is waaaaaayyyyy bigger than Doc lol. No one wants to really play in Philly it seems. I don't think many dudes want to play for a "Super Team" in a cold weather city, first of all.

Second, Philly has been a sh*t show for over 10 years now. They actually tried to rebrand tanking and call it "The Process." This organization has been the face of purposely sucking for an entire NBA generation.

The Thunder, Rockets, Magic, Hornets, Spurs, Jazz have all willfully tanked, and have done it just as bad if not worse than the Sixers. The Thunder the worst of them all. Not a peep from Adam Silver.

The Thunder had two down years

"The Process" lasted like 7 years

Sam Hinkie was the Process. Sam Hinkie was forced out after 3 NBA seasons.

[best of luck]

We made the playoffs as the lowest seed in 2019, 2020 as the only time during that period.
Once they knew that was the best the team could do, it was time for a reshuffle and the future hopefully is bright.

[NBA4Lyfe]

On an expiring contract
At age 33
who has demanded a trade 3 teams in 3 years

but yea aside from all that, great player.

players get paid on their regular season performance, and hardens regualr season performance is still of a top 13 player in the nba

Whoever trades for him will not be able to extend him because he was only a 2 year deal. Who's to say he won't get unhappy again and leave next summer? He's already done it 3 times.

so you saying the clippers cant extend harden after next season.. i call bs

[HotelVitale]

players get paid on their regular season performance, and hardens regualr season performance is still of a top 13 player in the nba

Whoever trades for him will not be able to extend him because he was only a 2 year deal. Who's to say he won't get unhappy again and leave next summer? He's already done it 3 times.

so you saying the clippers cant extend harden after next season.. i call bs

No one said that, guy already said exactly what he intended to. Read the words.

[Johnny Bball]

So embarrassing for the Sixers. I can't believe they lowballed another star. Who could they possibly get that could be better than James Harden now? It's not like they are a poverty franchise, they could have paid him what he wanted. Once again the Clippers have a star fall into their lap. And somehow I still don't see this working out for them.

This. first butler and now Harden. The sad part is they get lucky with Harden having to opt-in and will get a return instead of just losing him in free agency.

I know you're probably just stuffing it to the Sixers now, but the Sixers obviously can't pay a 5-year max to a 34 year-old who's clearly in decline. I get that Harden's upset with that, and thinks that he was owed after his pay cut last summer, but it's just not a move that the Sixers could make. It locks the team in exactly as it is now, and the team was already clearly not good enough or right this PO, and its hope for better outcomes obviously can't be tied to Harden as he enters progressively greater decline.

I get it's fun to take potshots at bad situations, but there's zero chance you would want your team to offer that contract.

(Also Butler was a total disaster but it was also a totally different FO at the time).

Then why have him agree to getting paid less and promise to make it up in the subsequent year, and break your promise. Because that's clearly how Harden perceives this. Don't promise what you can't or are too afraid to deliver.

[Educator]

I would just like to remind everyone that the Nets offered Harden what would have been the most lucrative contract in NBA history, which he turned down.

They also offered Irving the full max extension he is now seeking but withdrew the offer after Irving decided not to get vaccinated.

Irving's refusal to get vaccinated cost both of them millions.