What is the latest update on James Harden's free agency? Finding out more

James Harden could be one of the top free agents in the 2023 offseason if he declines his player option worth $35.6 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. He is widely expected to do that. Harden took a pay cut on his new deal last offseason to help the Sixers add veterans PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr. to bolster their wing depth and defense.

The "Beard" seems unlikely to secure a max deal with Philly after they failed to make it past the second round yet again. They surrounded Joel Embiid and Harden with a deep championship-worthy roster, but it wasn't enough.

NBA rumors regarding Harden's free agency prospects instantly made the headlines after the Sixers' playoffs exit in the second round to the Boston Celtics. The Houston Rockets are expected to be a top destination, while there have been murmurs about Harden linking up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix.

According to the latest rumors, the Philadelphia 76ers are unlikely to offer James Harden a max deal this offseason. Here's what ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported regarding this:

"The 76ers have not shown an appetite to pay Harden the max; that's why they asked him to take a pay cut last year... The Sixers are not really motivated to pay him that max salary if they don't think anybody else is going to do it."

H@rd3n https://t.co/azk2MRpu11

Windhorst also suggested that Harden could be leveraging the Sixers with the Houston rumors into securing a max deal this offseason. According to rumors, teams around the league have an appetite to offer Harden a four-year deal worth $200 million. If those rumors are true, the Sixers' chances to re-sign him are bleak if they are adamant about not offering him a max.

Houston Rockets continue to be heavy favorites to land James Harden

James Harden reuniting with H-Town continues to be the favored result of his free agency prospects. Houston is an ideal landing spot for Harden. Contending teams around the league are unlikely to offer him a max deal due to his recent play.

Harden hasn't been the scorer he was known to be during his time with the Rockets. Since his trade to the Brooklyn Nets, the former MVP has looked out of sorts as a No. 1 option. Since the 2020-21 season, Harden has transitioned into a full-time point guard.

During his stint in Brooklyn, which lasted 80 games, James Harden averaged 23.4 points and 10.5 assists, shooting on 44/35/81 splits. His scoring production dipped further in Philly, where he has tallied 21.0 points and 10.6 assists, shooting 43.1% from the floor, including 37.0% from deep across 79 appearances.

Harden's struggles have majorly come during the playoffs with the Nets and Sixers, which has hurt his market the most. He consistently came up short as a No. 1 or No. 2 option, hampering his team's chances at playoff success.

Eric Gordon on his stance of Harden returning to Houston:

“If I (look at) a young team that’s trying to figure out a way to get back into winning, why wouldn’t you want to have a guy like (James Harden) on the team.

You need veterans at the end of the day, that’s the only way… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/aJT2JNgIGc

James Harden has also struggled to stay in peak conditioning, and he isn't getting any younger at 33. It could be his last shot at securing a max deal in his NBA career. The Rockets are one of the few teams with significant cap space, appear to be one of the franchises that may offer him $200 million in cap space.

James Harden trade rumors to the Clippers

After opting into the final year of his contract back in June of 2023, Harden will be picking up the $35.64 million instead of being a free agent while working with the Sixers for a trade.

Harden during his recent visit to China to promote the J-Harden Wines decided to sound off on the Sixers GM, Daryl Morey. Here is what Harden had to say in the viral clip:

“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he is a part of. Let me say it again, Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he is a part of.”

– Reported by Shams Charania, on August 14th, 2023.

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently the front-runners to land Harden. In the last week, the Clippers front-office has made a few aggressive attempts to trade for Harden. According to ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski:

“The Clippers would like to get a deal done sooner than later. They also don’t want to raise their offer given they’re the only team that is bidding on [James Harden]. They’ve offered [the Sixers] more than anybody else has: a 1st round pick, pick swap, expiring contracts.”

The Sixers have reportedly declined the offer made by the Clippers, but their interest in trading for Harden has been made quite apparent. The Clippers are likely to make a few more attempts at trading for James Harden.