As the James Harden drama continues to swirl, it's clear that the Knicks will not be trading for the former All-Star. When Harden requested his trade, it was reported that the Knicks had an interest in trading for him but it seems that, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, the interest has gone away as the saga has continued.
This would lead the Clippers as the only team interested in trading for Harden and give the team ultimate leverage. The Clippers and Sixers have been talking about Harden for the entire offseason and have yet to get a deal done between the two sides.
With New York out, is Harden definitely going to the Clippers?
When two teams have been negotiating on and off for the entire offseason, it's hard to see a world where the team with the player doesn't end up trading that player to a different team. A good example of this is Damian Lillard saga. Still, this situation is a lot different than other typical trade requests. Not a lot of teams want to trade for the All-Star due to the fact that he is an aging veteran in this league.
If Harden is on a long-term max deal, he will most likely be viewed as an extremely overpaid player. The only reason that the Clippers are looking into the All-Star is the fact that they are on a one-year timeline and do not need to sign him to a long-term deal unless they reach the Western Conference Finals, reach the Finals, or win the title this season.
The Knicks were a secret favorite to end up with Harden due to the fact that they needed scoring last season in the playoffs and Harden could provide that. With New York out of the race, it seems this trade watch is down to one target.
