James “The Beard” Harden is packing his bags and moving to his 5th team. Harden, along with PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev, were dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade that saw Philadelphia acquire a number of draft picks, including a first round pick from a third team, and Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum and KJ Martin. I assume James is searching for a city to retire in after 14 years in the NBA, and in the twilight of his career. Harden spent 3 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being drafted in 2009, 9 years with the Houston Rockets from 2012 to 2021, 2 seasons with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 to 2022 and finally 2 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2021 to 2023.
The saga between the Philadelphia 76ers and 10-time All-Star James Harden has seemingly come to an end. A disgruntled Harden has been noticeably absent from the 76ers lineup to start the 2023 NBA season following a trade request and his public criticism of 76ers president Daryl Morey, whom he called a “liar.” “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden vowed in August. Months later, Harden’s request was granted.
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The Clippers were Harden’s early favorites when trade talks first began over the summer. Those conversations fell through, but according to the report, they resumed over the weekend and a deal was reached late Monday night. Harden sat on the bench alongside teammates during Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, marking his third-straight missed game. The team cited his need to “ramp up” conditioning. Sources close to Harden told ESPN that the former Houston Rocket star is “ecstatic” over the reported trade.
Harden, who picked up his $35.6 million contract option in June with the belief the team would trade him, was acquired by the 76ers at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn.
