Photo: Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly traded former NBA MVP James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski early Tuesday (October 31) morning.
"BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a trade to send guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN," Wojnarowski wrote on his X account.
Philadelphia was reported to have previously had trade conversations with the Los Angeles Clippers -- Harden's preferred destination throughout the process -- but a deal was never reached. The reported trade concludes a messy departure for Harden, who had previously been fined $100,000 for comments calling Sixers president Daryl Morey a "liar" following a report that trade talks centered around him had ended in a video shared online on August 14.
"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of," Harden said during an Adidas media event in China over the weekend, which was re-shared by the Athletic's Shams Charania, in August. "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."
The Sixers picked up Harden's $35.6 million player option in June, but were still expected to trade the disgruntled All-Star amid his request and absence from the team's first three games of the 2023-24 season. Harden's relationship with Morey was reported to have soured over failed negotiations on a long-term maximum-level contract offer.
The veteran NBA executive had previously served as the Houston Rockets' general manager during Harden's eight seasons as the franchise's top player and 2018 NBA MVP season.
Harden will now join his third team since leaving the Rockets in February 2021, having previously been shipped to the Brooklyn Nets prior to the trade to the Sixers in 2022. The former MVP averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds during the 2022-23 season.