New NBA rule could be cooling James Harden's trade market

In the Summer League, the NBA will try out a new rule where players can be penalized for flopping. Players who exaggerate contact, fall down untouched or otherwise flop can be penalized with a free throw. It's similar to the penalty for a technical foul, only the infraction won't count the same way — a player won't be ejected for two flops, for example.

In what may or may not be a coincidence, the NBA announced it would be testing out the rule less than a week after Harden opted into his contract for 2023-24 so the 76ers could seek a trade. Harden is a former MVP and a 10-time All-Star, but also one of the players who might be most hurt by the new flopping penalties.

Harden hasn't been above selling minor contact —or no contact at all — to officials over the years. From 2014-20, Harden averaged more than 10 free-throw attempts per game, peaking at 11.8 per game in 2019-20, when The Beard won his third straight scoring title.

Now the new rule could be taking away some of Harden's value. Not only are officials cracking down on a big source of points for Harden, but the flops could now mean points for the other team.

Harden isn't the only accomplished actor in the NBA — Dennis Schroder received a two-year, $25 million deal after a flop-filled playoffs with the Lakers.

But Harden is the most high-profile flopper, so he may have a target on his back. Even Lakers foul merchant Austin Reaves admitted he studied Harden and Atlanta's Trae Young to learn how to sell contact.

If you take away Harden's flopping powers, he may no longer be as appealing at $36 million per year. That may be why, so far, Philadelphia's efforts to trade Harden have been a flop.