The Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers have been the two favorites in the NBA, however, recent trade rumors surrounding the two teams have taken fans by surprise. According to Nick Wright, Harden's plan to join the Clippers has been rejected again, the second time in the last 48 hours that the Clippers have rejected Harden's asking price.
There were rumors that the 76ers had made a trade offer for Harden to the Clippers that included a first-round pick and a swap pick, but the Clippers ruthlessly rejected the offer. This also basically cut off the possibility of Harden joining the Clippers, and the trade negotiations between the two teams reached an impasse.
For Harden, the news was undoubtedly a heavy blow. He was reportedly so upset that he even missed the team's training sessions. The 76ers' approach is to plan to give Harden a chance to explain why he was "unexcusedly absent" before deciding how to impose penalties. Either way, however, Harden will face a hefty fine. For his absence, including preseason, he was fined $389,082 for each game he missed, a fine that falls under the category of "failure to provide service." In addition to this, absenteeism is punishable by a fine of at least $2,500.
After the Los Angeles Clippers rejected Harden's trade offer, they also basically cut off other teams' interest in Harden. That means Harden may not be able to leave the 76ers anytime soon, and trade talks between the two teams will continue to stall. For the Clippers, it doesn't seem like they want to pay too much in a Harden trade, which has made other teams wary of bringing in Harden. There are two main reasons, one is Harden's age, the future decline has become an inevitable factor, and the other is Harden's contract, there is only one year left, no one knows where he will go next.
For the 76ers, despite Harden's absence from practice and facing fines, they still need to resolve internal team tensions. The 76ers have reportedly communicated with Harden and hope to resolve the issue as soon as possible. However, it is unclear whether Harden will accept the 76ers' penalty or return to the team to continue training. This also makes the future situation of the team full of uncertainty.
Without Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers next season would also be out of the ranks of favorites. That's right, even if the 76ers get their wish and trade Harden for Mann, Mann's personal strength is far inferior to Harden, and it is almost impossible to make up for Harden's departure next season. More importantly, there are very few teams interested in Harden at the moment, except for the Clippers, and perhaps only the Miami Heat. However, the chips that the Heat can give are also very limited, which is nothing more than veteran Lowry taking a draft pick, at most giving another Dunroe.
After the deal negotiations failed, the future of Harden and the 76ers became more complicated. This has also caused fans to speculate and expect more about the NBA pattern this season. Before the trading deadline arrives, I believe that there will be more trading rumors and dynamics. And how the fate of Harden and the 76ers will play out, we will wait and see.