This post was originally published on this site.
Los Angeles Clippers superstar guard James Harden’s desire for a contract extension has reportedly resulted in him being placed on the trade block.
According to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Harden wants a deal longer than the two-year, $82 million contract he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers this past offseason. A source with knowledge of the trade discussions told Stein and Fischer, “It’s all about a contract extension.”
SI.com’s Chris Mannix reported Monday that the Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed the framework of a trade that would send Harden to Cleveland in exchange for guard Darius Garland.
Per Stein and Fischer, Harden has also eyed the Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks as potential landing spots over the course of the season, but neither team is expected to pursue a trade for Harden.
Minnesota is reportedly focused on landing Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade, while the Hawks have reportedly “largely abandoned searching for aggressive moves” since trading guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards last month.
Harden, 36, is in the midst of his 17th NBA season with his fifth different team, and he continues to play at a high level.
Through 44 games this season, Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per contest.
An 11-time All-Star, three-time scoring champion and one-time NBA MVP, Harden is a surefire future Hall of Famer, but an NBA championship is the one glaring omission from his résumé.
After a horrible start to the season, the Clippers have won 17 of their past 22 games, placing them ninth in the Western Conference with a 23-26 record.
While there is a path for the Clippers to go through the postseason play-in tournament and reach the playoffs, Cleveland would undoubtedly provide Harden with a far more realistic opportunity to contend for a championship.
The Cavs are fifth in the wide-open Eastern Conference with a 30-21 record, and they had the best record in the East last season.
However, it isn’t known if the Cavaliers are willing to commit to Harden beyond next season, and it is also unclear if Harden would approve a trade to the Cavs if they are not.
Per Stein and Fischer, both Harden and the Clippers realize that a trade to a team that wants to extend Harden’s contract “might not materialize.”
It was also reported by Stein and Fischer that Harden-for-Garland trade talks “have not yet reached an advanced stage.” The Cavs and Clippers reportedly discussed a trade of De’Andre Hunter for John Collins and/or Bogdan Bogdanović, but those talks died when Cleveland traded Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis.
If no team is open to giving Harden a new deal, it sounds like he could potentially remain with the Clippers through the end of the season, but with a player option for next season, he is eligible to become a free agent during the offseason.