By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
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, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Harden is hopeful that the sides will come to a deal before the deadline on February 10th at 3 p.m. ET (21:00 CET) but Daryl Morey and Sean Marks are yet to engage in a serious dialogue about the trade.
The sides are expected to communicate until the deadline and there is still the possibility of a deal, but both teams are left measuring the risk-reward of a Harden deal.
A trade may depend on Morey’s willingness to include assets, beyond Ben Simmons, needed to convince the Nets to unload Harden against the cost of creating the salary cap space to sign Harden in summer free agency. Philadelphia could also re-engage the Nets on an opt-in and trade strategy in the offseason.