Report: Clippers 'fairly unserious' in pursuit of James Harden trade

Los Angeles' lack of urgency to strike a deal doesn't bode well for Harden's desire to skip town. The 33-year-old guard bypassed free agency this offseason when he opted into the final year of his contract with the Sixers. 

As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski back in June, the decision was supposed to clear the way for the organization to work alongside Harden on finding a trade. 

Thus far, things have not gone as planned. 

As it turns out, the market for an aging player with diminishing production and a history of seeking greener pastures in different cities doesn't reflect Harden's lofty resume. 

A 10-time All-Star, Harden is seeking to switch teams for the third time in four seasons. While he's improved as a distributor, leading the NBA in assists with 10.7 per game in 2022-23, his 21.0 points per game scoring output as a Sixer has plummeted compared to his league-leading 34.3 ppg average while with the Houston Rockets. 

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has already gone on record stating that the team won't trade Harden unless they get a significant return in the deal.  

He's not the only one who wouldn't rush to trade the former MVP.

At this point, Harden appears to be more valuable to a Sixers organization desperate to keep Joel Embiid happy than he does to the Clippers — or any other franchise, for that matter.