Four destinations for James Harden

The Sixers are confident they'll have James Harden next season. But if team president Daryl Morey relents, where else could Harden go? Here are four potential destinations for The Beard.

Los Angeles Clippers

Harden is from Los Angeles, and the Clippers are reportedly his ideal destination. He'd link up with two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and small forward/podcaster Paul George, along with his former Oklahoma City and Houston teammate Russell Westbrook. Harden and Westbrook are friends, unlike former teammates Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, who each made "him or me" trade requests with the Rockets, as did Harden.

The Clippers are moving into their own arena in Inglewood, the Intuit Dome, next season. With Harden, Leonard and George all potentially entering the final years of their contracts (George and Leonard have player options), it would be a First-and-Last Dance scenario for L.A., a team trying to win a title for the first time before possibly being broken up.

In that situation, the Clippers might be more willing than the Sixers to give Harden a big long-term deal after the season, especially if they're facing a debut season in a new building with no stars. They might need to involve a third team to give the Sixers what they want — or just include Terance Mann in the deal.

Portland Trail Blazers

While Harden's fit with Portland's young roster is questionable, his large expiring contract would be a near-perfect match for Damian Lillard's $45.6 million salary for 2023-24. Philadelphia would have to include a little more than $6 million in salary for the trade to be legal, which could be backup guard De'Anthony Melton or Furkan Korkmaz, who already requested a trade. Both players have expiring contracts — and Philly would have to include a little extra salary if it's Kurkmaz.

Lillard wants to go to Miami and Harden likely isn't thinking of Portland as a destination, but the deal would move Dame Time to a contender. While it doesn't seem like enough of a return for the Blazers — the Sixers are limited in what first-round picks they can trade — the upside is that Portland has the most strip clubs per capita in the United States.

Harden once reportedly had his jersey retired by a Houston strip club after he spent more than a million dollars in one night. He won't be lacking for gentlemen's clubs in Stumptown. Plus, alongside Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, Harden's lack of defense will be less noticeable, since no one will be playing D.

Brooklyn Nets

Sure, Brooklyn traded Harden away a year ago, but that was in part because he was upset with the team's lack of structure under then-coach Steve Nash, his disagreements with Kevin Durant and the Kyrie Irving vaccination controversy. All three are gone now. A deal for Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, one of Brooklyn's many three-and-D wings, works under the cap.

Of course, if Morey really wants to take a stand against players who demand trades, he could send Harden back to Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, infuriating both players but winning the admiration of tough-love general managers everywhere.

Beijing Ducks

If we're being realistic, there's not a lot of interest in acquiring James Harden — in the United States at least. But Harden remains wildly popular in China, even when it comes to wine sales.