James Harden could be on the move again.
To the surprise of many, Harden has decided to pick up his player option for the 2023-24 season. You might think that means he'll be a member of the 76ers for at least one more season, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden and the 76ers are working together on "exploring trade scenarios." The expectation is that he's played his last game with the franchise.
One team in particular that is interested in Harden is the Clippers. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Harden, a Los Angeles native, wants to play for the Clippers, and both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are said to be "on board" with the idea of the 10-time All-Star joining them.
Is Harden to the Clippers actually possible? Let's take a closer look.
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Is a James Harden to Clippers trade possible?
This isn't nearly as complicated as a possible Kyrie Irving to Suns scenario.
Unlike Irving, who is an unrestricted free agent, Harden picking up his player option means he has one year remaining on his contract. He can't sign with the Clippers outright, but he can be traded to them.
The Clippers already have two players in Leonard and George making big money, but they wouldn't need to include either one of them to match Harden's $35.6 million salary. It could be as simple as Marcus Morris and Norman Powell, who will make a combined $35.1 million next season.
Now obviously, the 76ers wouldn't do that.
Morris and Powell alone isn't much of a return for Harden, who remains an All-Star caliber player with averages of 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists per game this season. Depending on what the 76ers are looking for, the Clippers would need to sweeten the deal with draft picks (they can offer two future first-rounders) and likely a young player like Terance Mann.
It's safe to assume the 76ers will be motivated to get something in return for Harden that keeps them competitive to make the most of Joel Embiid's prime.
The problem the 76ers face is that the Clippers might be hesitant to include picks and/or Mann because Harden has only one year remaining on his contract. He's played for three different teams over the last three seasons. Based on recent history, there's no guarantee he'd stick with the Clippers beyond one season. That makes trading for him riskier than, say, Damian Lillard, who has up to four years remaining on his contract.
Another possibility is that a third team gets in the mix. That would open the door for the 76ers to get a star in return for Harden and balance out some of the risk involved for the Clippers.
Clippers salary cap and roster
The Clippers currently have 10 players under contract for the 2023-24 season. That does not include Eric Gordon, whose contract they decided not to guarantee.
| Player | Salary |
| Paul George | $45,640,165 |
| Kawhi Leonard | $45,640,084 |
| Norman Powell | $18,000,000 |
| Marcus Morris | $17,116,279 |
| Nicolas Batum | $11,710,818 |
| Robert Covington | $11,692,308 |
| Ivica Zubac | $10,933,333 |
| Terance Mann | $10,576,923 |
| Amir Coffey | $3,666,667 |
| Bones Hyland | $2,306,400 |
James Harden contract details
In 2022, Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million extension with the 76ers that includes a player option. He has picked up his $35.6 million player option, setting him up to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season.
| Season | James Harden's salary |
| 2022-23 | $33,000,000 |
| 2023-24 | $35,640,000 |
| 2024-25 | UFA |
According to Spotrac, Harden's career earnings will reach $337.3 million at the end of his current contract.
James Harden career stats
- 24.7 points per game
- 7.0 assists per game
- 5.6 rebounds per game
- 1.5 steals per game
- 0.5 blocks per game
- 3.7 turnovers per game
- 44.2 percent field goal shooting
- 36.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 86.0 percent free throw shooting
