Ray of Hope Lost for James Harden? Detrimental Jrue Holiday Update Shows Ex-MVP May Be Stuck With 76ers for Longer

34-year-old James Harden is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. It is not hard to see why. With the Sixers trying to negotiate a three-way trade and Harden looking for a place at the Clippers, none seems the wiser. 

The Sixers’ star guard has concerns of his own to deal with. With his prime basketball years behind him, it’s natural that Harden will look for a lucrative deal. I mean, the man’s got to eat. With Daryl Morey acquiring his bird rights in 2022, and no team ready to accept Harden, the ex-MVP’s free-agent options will be far more limited next summer.

James Harden is hard set on leaving the Sixers

For Harden to make it to the LA Clippers, the Sixers need Holiday on their team. Morey won’t have it any other way. But Holiday has a long list of teams lining up to sign him. Unfortunately, with the pace at which the trade talks are going, the “likelihood of a Holiday trade for the Sixers is fairly low”, according to Kyle Neubeck’s (reporter for PhillyVoice.com) post on X.

The Harden-Morey situation has taken a personal and emotional turn. For the longest time, Daryl Morey was Harden’s champion. This trust might be the reason James “sacrificed” close to $14 million dollars so that the Sixers could sign veteran forward P. J. Tucker. Harden obviously expected something big in return for this, but nothing of the sort happened. From that moment onwards, it was a downhill journey between the President and the star player of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Right now, James Harden is doing everything he can to force Morey’s hand to land him a deal, preferably with the Clippers. Daryl Morey, it seems, has a plan of his own for how things should turn out.

How the Sixers can benefit from signing Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday’s arrival into the Sixers can prove to be the cherry on top for the team. Holiday is one of the best defenders in the NBA and is comfortable playing on and off the ball. That will provide the reigns of offense to Maxey.

Read More: Gambling Hamstring for a Ring, Could James Harden Suffer Long-Term Consequences like Klay Thompson?

Holiday’s calm demeanour and keeping a cool head under pressure translate to the entire team. Holiday’s championship background with the Bucks and his defense abilities might give the Sixers a chance to win this season. 

The question here is, what can the Sixers offer the Blazers so that the latter will agree to a trade?

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