James Harden reportedly is hoping to finish out the 2021-22 NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 10-time All-Star apparently does not intend to make that desire abundantly clear to the Brooklyn Nets, however.
Hours before the league's trade deadline Thursday, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski shed light on Harden's relocation hopes and why the 2018 MVP is taking a more subdued approach to his situation.
From Wojnarowski:
Although Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden wants a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, he has resisted making that formal request out of fear of the public backlash that would come with asking out of a second franchise in consecutive seasons, sources told ESPN.
Harden is hopeful that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey secures a trade for him before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, but Morey and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to become engaged in serious dialogue on a deal, sources said.
There's still an expectation that the sides will communicate Thursday, and the possibility of a deal remains, but both teams are left measuring the risk-reward of a Harden deal, sources said.
The Sixers definitely could stand to improve their roster in order to further legitimize their NBA Finals aspirations. Losing Harden would be a major loss for the Nets, but so would seeing him leave the organization for nothing on the open market this summer.
Morey, who was responsible for bringing Harden to Houston back in 2012, has proven he's not afraid to shake things up. As such, don't be surprised if the 76ers swing a blockbuster before the deadline passes.
