James Harden took a major step towards leaving the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. This was after the former NBA MVP picked up his $35.6 million player option with the Sixers for next season. However, there have been NBA rumors and reports indicating that both parties are now working towards Harden’s trade away from Philly.
Harden still remains to be one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA today, not to mention an elite playmaker. As such, it isn’t at all surprising that teams from across the league have been scrambling to try and join in on the race to sign James Harden. As it turns out, one of those teams that could be interested in the 33-year-old is none other than the Milwaukee Bucks.
Do The Milwaukee Bucks Actually Have A Path To James Harden?
The short answer to that question is yes. However, the truth is that it’s not very likely. The biggest hindrance here is Harden’s gargantuan contract, which will require the Bucks to pay off a massive luxury tax bill if they were to take on the $35.6 million James is owed in 2023-24.
In terms of the actual trade capital required to pull this blockbuster off, however, it appears that the Bucks have what’s required to get them to the negotiating table. Sam Quinn of CBS notes that a combination of Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis, Marjon Beauchamp, and Pat Connaughton could potentially match Harden’s outgoing salary for the Sixers. Milwaukee has a handful of tradable draft picks as well that they can use to sweeten the deal for Philly.
You have to imagine, however, that opposing teams would probably be able to offer a much better package than what the Bucks can muster up. This is James Harden we’re talking about here, and I doubt Philly will opt to settle for a package that does not net them a star and/or a significant amount of future picks.
The Sixers Are Open To Keeping James Harden
According to a report by NBA insider Shams Charania, the Sixers have indicated to Harden that they don’t see a future for him in Philly. This has led to NBA rumors spreading like wildfire pertaining to the notion that Harden may have already played his last game for the Sixers.
It is worth noting, however, that further reports indicate that this presumption may be a tad premature. Sixers insider Paul Hudrick of SB Nation reports that “Harden is keeping his options open to play for a contender,” which includes Philadelphia. For their part, the Sixers are expected to gauge the trade market for the 10-time All-Star, but they will not be forced to pull the trigger on a deal that they don’t like.
Given all this, it would not be a complete shock if Harden ends up putting on the Sixers uniform in 2023-24.
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