The future of James Harden with the Los Angeles Clippers could be dependent on what they decide to do with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who also are potential free agents in the 2024 offseason.

"For the Clippers, this is a run now for them to make. They don't know what the future is there," said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. "They don't know if they will be able to come to terms with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on new deals. If they can do something that makes sense. In some ways, maybe James Harden is a rental for them."

Harden was previously a free agent in 2022 and 2023 with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"He's playing for his future in the league," said Wojnarowski. "For a future deal with the Clippers. The only way there's probably going to be another deal with the Clippers is if they're going to keep that thing together with Leonard and George. And Russell Westbrook. So $35.6 million a year for James Harden this season after he opted into that deal last June and then said he wanted a trade with it. It had gotten ugly and personal, certainly, with Daryl Morey. A lot of history with he and James Harden and it doesn't end well. But it ends finally in Philly."

Harden previously had opportunities to sign an extension with the Houston Rockets in 2020 and a new contract with the Sixers this past offseason that he eschewed.

"He's got a lot to prove to people in the league," added Wojnarowski. "In terms of his future and what it's going to look like, it is unlikely he's going to get the money back in his next deal that he has given up by not signing that max extension in Brooklyn, by not signing in Houston when it was offered to him when he asked for the trade then, and by not going into free agency last summer. He potentially could have had a two- or three-year max deal with the Sixers probably around $40 million a year. He didn't want to wait for July 1. He opted into the deal with the very clear suggestion to Daryl Morey and the Sixers that he wanted a trade. And that he wanted that trade to come to the Clippers. It finally did several months later in the dead of the night."

James Harden is "ecstatic" to finally be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Harden was hoping to fly to Los Angeles as quickly as possible and could attend Tuesday's game when the Clippers host the Orlando Magic.

Harden requested a trade from the Sixers after he opted into his $35.6 million contract for the 23-24 season.

Harden, like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, grew up in Southern California.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers ramped up trade talks again on a James Harden deal over the weekend and struck a deal early in the morning on Tuesday.

"There was a tremendous amount of pressure on the Sixer organization to find a deal," said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. "Harden was working out individually with the organization as the team was away playing really well. A close loss at Milwaukee. A couple of wins, including at Toronto and then back home again. 

"Tyrese Maxey, the league's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, thirty points a game... Joel Embiid looking like the MVP. This was a Sixer team that ultimately decided as an organization that they simply could not bring James Harden back into that mix. That they had gone as far as they could with this. They got back with the Clippers and put together a deal... There was compromise on both sides. The Sixers wanted Terance Mann, they did not get him in this deal. But they did get those two first round picks. The prime of them, the 28th pick from the Clippers. 

"What the Sixers want to do now is be able to go out and scour the market. It's probably not going to be in the near term. This is not a time teams are ready to start parting with players. Although I'm sure they'll try to start. But perhaps closer to the trade deadline, or into December, January when more guys are eligible to be traded, you can expect Daryl Morey to go out and use all these picks he's got now...

"The Sixers think they have as much value to go out and look for a player as what Jrue Holiday cost. They didn't have the assets to get Jrue Holiday last time around. But the next Jrue Holiday, if there's a Jrue Holiday type player available before the deadline, the Sixers think they're at the front of the line now. And they keep their cap space for next summer when they want to be able to get a max player in free agency, or be able to have the assets to take on the salary of a big time player. So that's what Daryl Morey wanted in this.

"He was ready to play this out. I think there was a period of time when he thought they could reincorporate James Harden. But Harden made it clear he was not going to play ball. Literally, figuratively with the Sixers. While he had been okay these last few days around the team. When he was around, there was a sense that wasn't going to last and he was going to do what he needed to do to get this team to trade him."

The LA Clippers have exercised the 2024-25 rookie scale team option for Bones Hyland. Teams have until October 31 to pick up rookie scale options for next season.

This is Hyland's fourth-year option. He was acquired by the Clippers from the Denver Nuggets at last season's trade deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to trade James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Sixers will receive Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap. 

The draft picks include an unprotected first-round pick in 2028, two second-round picks, and a pick swap. The Clippers will also send an additional future first-round pick from another team. 

Danny Green was waived by the Sixers to make roster room to accommodate the trade. 

The 34-year-old Harden, who opted into his $35.6 million player option last summer for the 2023-24 season, had yet to play for the Sixers this year. 

In trading for Russell Westbrook last February, the Utah Jazz allowed him to move past his situation with the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook was bought out and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I’m grateful for them just because — for many reasons,” said Westbrook.

Westbrook “absolutely” gave serious consideration to remaining with the Jazz.

“I would have come in and did whatever they asked me to do,” Westbrook said. “I told them I could be a mentor. Whatever I needed to do to help, I would have done it. Like always I do whatever is best for the team. If that’s to come and sit my ass there in street clothes and make sure I help the young guys, I’ll do that.”

Westbrook remained in Los Angeles after the trade. Westbrook wanted to join a playoff contender where he would also be certain to receive minutes. The Jazz were prioritizing the development of younger players, but they told Westbrook they would welcome him if he chose to report. 

“I just wanted to make sure that he knew how much I respect him as a player,” Will Hardy said. “And that whatever the decision ends up being, that he’s always welcome here with me. I’ve had a lot of respect for him for a long time. I’ve been on staffs in San Antonio in particular where we played Oklahoma City in the playoffs a lot, so I’ve seen Russell up close and personal. You know, his reputation speaks for itself.

“And so as a coach, it was really just about opening the line of communication that if there was anything that he needed from me, any conversations that he wanted to have, any questions he had about the situation here in terms of the team day to day, that I was available.”

Even as the Philadelphia 76ers barred James Harden from traveling on the team's season-opening road trip, they remain resolute in trade talks. The Sixers aren't backing down in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers and continue to insist that Terance Mann be a part of the trade package.

Part of Philadelphia's insistence on acquiring Mann, is that they know Mann was offered to the Portland Trail Blazers when the Clippers tried to acquire Jrue Holiday. Portland ultimately traded Holiday to the Boston Celtics.

To date, the Clippers have refused to part with Mann, in addition to unprotected first-round picks and swaps. The Clippers reportedly believe they are the only suitor for Harden. Philadelphia believes there is pressure on the Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George pending free agents this summer.

The Los Angeles Clippers have stepped away from trade talks with the Philadelphia 76ers on James Harden for a second time. The Clippers initially walked away from trade talks with the Sixers in August, which was followed by Harden publicly calling Daryl Morey "a liar" during an event in China.

"I'm told with the start of the season now, at least for the foreseeable future, the Clippers are stepping back from these trade talks about James Harden," said Adrian Wojnarowski. "They are essentially pausing them. They have talked with Philadelphia for months about a trade. They have made their best offer for Harden. They are now going to start their season and see what this team looks like with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and a healthy Paul George. 

"The Clippers may revisit this at some point, but they know they are the only bidder for James Harden. They are the only team who has made a serious offer. They don't want to bid against themselves.

"While the Clippers may revisit this later in the season, I think the Sixers have to wonder 'Have we already gotten the best offer we're going to get for James Harden?' Especially as the games start to peel off the calendar and if you're the Clippers, why offer more when there's fewer and fewer games that James Harden can play for you?"

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers continue to be at a stalemate with their discussions on a James Harden trade as both sides are firm in what they are offering and what they want. Harden has been away from the Sixers for 10 days and reported back to the team shortly before their flight to Milwaukee for their opening night.

"We know he wants a trade," said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. "He's made it pretty clear he was not going to make this easy on Philly if he didn't get the trade. It hasn't happened. It's nowhere close. It is nowhere in range. Just those talks are nowhere between Philly and the Clippers. There's a wide gulf between those two organizations. 

"The Clippers believe they've made, by far, the best offer for James Harden. The only real serious offer for James Harden. 

"Daryl Morey wants more. Says he has a value on an All-Star guard. I think the way the Clippers look at it is that the market dictates the value. Each side certainly does what is best for them. For the Clippers, that is not including Terance Mann in the deal. That is not including a second first round pick in the deal. That includes not taking on, perhaps, salary in a trade for Harden. For Philly, they said they only want to do a deal that allows them to get the assets to get another high level player to replace James Harden. That's hard to do. They don't become available. There's a reason people don't want to trade those players.

"So Phily has been in no rush to get this deal done. At least on anything but their own terms. But for all the posturing and in-and-out with James Harden in the preseason, the season is starting. They open up Thursday. If the Sixers get to a point where they want to fine, or essentially dock James Harden's pay. That's $389,000 per game. We're not there.

"Again, he is on excused leave. The team has been patience with him. I think the league will have some say in that at some point. There is a new Player Participation Rule that is going to be tested in a pretty unique way with the James Harden situation."

Harden is owed $35.6 million for the coming season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have asked James Harden not to travel with the team on their road trip to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and at the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Harden returned to the Sixers on Wednesday after a 10-day absence with his bags packed for the road trip.

Harden is seeking a trade from the Sixers to the Los Angeles Clippers.