James Harden requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. This trade deal did not go far, as the Clippers did not want to trade Terance Mann to the Philadelphia 76ers.
On the other hand, the Sixers wanted to acquire Mann, who is a highly potential player.
Now, an NBA Insider has revealed that the Clippers are interested in trading for Harden more than Malcolm Brogdon.
Could Clippers Prefer Malcolm Brogdon Over James Harden?
Zach Lowe of ESPN has revealed that the Clippers are interested in trading for Harden more than Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lowe said on his podcast:
“The Clippers want Harden.”
“It’s a real thing. They want Harden. They want him more than they want Malcolm Brogdon. Pretty confident in that. And the fact that they’re this interested in Harden — interested enough to throw out an unprotected pick or whatever it is, whatever offer they’ve thrown out — I think is a vote of slight anxiety at the very least that their team as presently constructed is simply not good enough to win the title.”
James Harden returned to Philadelphia on Tuesday night with his bags packed to join team on the road for Thursday vs. Bucks and Saturday vs. Raptors, but the 76ers have now asked him not to travel with the team, sources said. https://t.co/N7GONkU6l9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 25, 2023
James Harden’s Trade to Clippers Fueled by Close Friendship with Russell Westbrook
Harden requested his trade to the Clippers in June. Both teams came together to talk about the trade deal, but the Sixers wanted to acquire Mann from the Clippers, due to which the trade couldn’t take place.
James Harden, the Beard star, led the NBA with the highest assists for the 2nd time in his NBA career in the last season while playing for the Sixers. Harden averaged around 21 points and 10.7 assists in the last season.
Harden has his friends on the Clippers’ roster. Russell Westbrook is his close friend, and Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have also talked to the LA Clippers’ front office to trade for Harden.
James Harden trade wouldn’t have come here if the Clippers had acquired Brogdon from the Boston Celtics at the beginning of this offseason.
However, since Brogdon got injured and had a medical condition, the Clippers postponed their idea to trade for Malcolm and stayed focused on acquiring Harden.
When compared to Harden, Malcolm Brogdon averaged around 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the last season for the Celtics. He was also named the 6th MVP of the last season.
It is yet to be determined whether the Clippers will trade for Harden or Brogdon. But doesn’t matter which star player they trade for, the situation will be interesting.
