Los Angeles Clippers end trade talks for James Harden. What happens to the Philadelphia 76ers star now?

As the saga of the former MVP continues to unfold, it now seems that he may soon have no choice but to attend training camp. Of course, we may see other teams entering the fray, but given how the market for the former Rockets star has developed, that’s not by any means a certainty.

Los Angeles Clippers negotiations for James Harden.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Los Angeles Clippers have officially ended trade discussions for 76ers star James Harden. Speaking during a recent episode of ‘The Hoop Collective Podcast’ Windhorsted explained that Harden’s team, the Philadelphia 76ers, tried to trade the former MVP (2018), but it was in fact the Clippers who chose to bring an end to negotiations.

“[The Clippers] tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen,” Windhorst said on the podcast with ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Ohm Youngmisuk. “And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.”

So, what does this mean for James Harden?

Undoubtedly, this news places Haden in a peculiar position. For context, it was back in late June when Harden decided to exercise his $35.6 million option. What followed were a number of reports about possible trade destinations which included the New York Knicks, but finally settled on the Clippers as his ideal destination. Then came the drama. With talks between the two teams seemingly dragging out, Harden dropped a bomb on the league.

While on a tour of China, Harden spoke with fans during a public appearance, and in a video clip of his comments which has since gone viral, he declared in no uncertain terms that “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.” Darryl Morey is of course the 76ers’ President of Basketball Operations i.e., that’s a problem. It didn’t stop there either. Days later Harden reiterated his stance that the relationship between him and the Sixers was beyond repair, and moreover that he had no intention of training with the team. Understandably those comments resulted in a $100k fine from the league after it deemed his words as “indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”

This is all to say that with the Clippers backing away from the table, Harden is likely staying in Philly, at least for the time being. As for how that plays out between the 10-time NBA All-Star and the team he’s stated he will never play for again, that’s anybody’s guess. Remember, media day is on October 2nd followed by training camp, and then, the 76ers will open their season against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26th. This is all to say, the clock is ticking.