A source close to James Harden, given anonymity so they could speak freely, told The Athletic that Harden began showing interest in joining the Clippers as early as late June, prior to the decision to opt into the final year of his contract to facilitate a trade, and incumbent Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook was aware of Harden’s interest prior to re-signing. -via The Athletic / July 18, 2023

Zach Lowe: As far as I know, the James Harden situation remains a total stalemate. There’s only really one team that he wants to go to, that team is the Clippers, their level of engagement here to me is unclear slash not super enthusiastic. I don’t know what to make of the possibility that Harden would ever go back to Philly. I continue to hear from people who would know that the bridge is burned. But that’s what people who would know would say on July 17, with two months or whatever before training camp. -via Apple Podcasts / July 18, 2023

As for the Sixers, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has continued to ask for the kind of return in Harden trade talks that rival executives are convinced that he’s seriously considering keeping the former MVP. Yet might the Sixers, with Embiid’s happiness level in mind and training camp still two months away, be taking the patient route here with the hopes of maximizing their return and increasing their title odds along the way? You don’t have to be a detective to connect these dots. -via The Athletic / July 18, 2023