BREAKING: James Harden Makes Shocking Decision On His Future

In a stunning turn of events, 10-time All-Star James Harden has made the decision to OPT IN to his $35.6M player option for the coming season, and is now working with the Philadelphia 76ers on a TRADE. Wow.

JUST IN: James Harden is opting into his $35.6 million deal for next season – in order for the 10-time All-Star and the 76ers to work together on a trade out of Philadelphia, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2023

It's believed that the Sixers made it clear that there would be no long-term extension for Harden, so he's apparently decided he needs to move on. This is the third time in two years that Harden has forced a trade out of town. He asked out of Houston in 2021 when that team was starting its plummet to the bottom of the league, arranging a trade to the Brooklyn Nets to team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

When that was obviously not going to work, he manoeuvered his way out of Brooklyn in 2022, forcing a trade to the Sixers to join forces with Embiid. But that, too, ended in disappointment, as Philly was ousted in the second round of the playoff both in '22 and again this year.

Now he's forcing his way out of the City of Brotherly Love.

James Harden, demanding his third trade from a third different team within two years, edges ahead of Kyrie and KD in the illustrious "trades demanded" category.

But I'm still not willing to count out Irving or Durant - they have time left in their career to catch the Beard.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 29, 2023