James Harden next team odds: Is The Beard about to get Clipped?
The first major domino of free agency has fallen, as James Harden has opted into his $35.6 million contract with the intention of being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers. Reporting by Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania has fueled speculation and NBA odds about Harden’s next landing spot.
We’ll take you through the top destinations according to oddsmakers and walk you through the likelihood of James Harden next team odds, before offering what I believe to be the best futures bet on the board.
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James Harden’s next team odds
Odds as of June 30, 2023.
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Favorites to acquire James Harden
Los Angeles Clippers (-110)
There’s enough smoke for a season’s worth of California wildfires emanating from Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers at the moment, and Woj noted that the Clippers and New York Knicks would be the top two teams under consideration as James Harden’s next landing spot.
The Clippers have been on a perpetual hunt for a true point guard since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teamed up, and Harden would provide the playmaking presence they’ve thought to long be lacking. Notably, there has been less than no noise about a new deal for Russell Westbrook to return despite his successful postseason performance.
The difficulty is the trade itself. If the Clippers are worried about PG declining, surely they’ll be even more frightened of adding Harden at 34, and outside of George, their tradeable assets are far from inspiring.
New York Knicks (+175)
On the face of it, the New York Knicks are an odd fit for Harden. While a year ago the Knicks were desperate for a star point guard, they landed one in the free agency acquisition of Jalen Brunson.
Brunson is younger, plays the same position as Harden, and had a much stronger playoffs than “The Beard”. Their fit as a backcourt pairing is untenable on defense. Furthermore, the Knicks are known to have their eye on Harden’s MVP teammate, Joel Embiid. A Harden departure speeds up the timeline for a possible Embiid trade for the Knicks, so I find it very unlikely New York pulls the trigger on Harden at the cost of those greater ambitions.
Houston Rockets (+900)
While the Houston Rockets were said to be wooing Harden since before the playoffs had even begun, there are two reasons to be skeptical of a Harden reunion at this juncture.
For one, reports are that the Rockets’ eyes are set on luring Fred VanVleet away from the Toronto Raptors on a lucrative two-year deal. For another, if Harden had traction with the Rockets, he would not have needed to opt into his contract in the first place, as they have ample cap space to sign him to any contract they could negotiate. The Rockets will get buzz because the two have been linked in the past, but Harden opting in strongly suggests the Rockets are not interested.
Philadelphia 76ers (+1,200)
Harden’s current team, the Philadelphia 76ers, get on the board at a juicy +1200. While most assume Harden being traded is a fait accompli, I am less convinced. Would it be so shocking to see Daryl Morey play hardball given how he behaved during the interminable Ben Simmons trade negotiations that dragged on well into the regular season?
James Harden next team best bet
Conventional wisdom suggests that Harden is finished in Philly, but I am not so sure. Morrey is not a man to be boxed into making a losing trade if he has any say in it. If a trade partner was forthcoming, he’d have been traded at the same time as he chose to opt-in. Given that he remains in Philadelphia, that means that no obvious trade exists.
It‘s borderline impossible to conceive a Harden trade that allows both the Clippers and 76ers to improve their championship equity this season, and both teams have an absolute mandate to do just that. For that reason, I believe the odds that Harden suits up for the 76ers this season are being criminally undervalued. While perhaps not the most likely single outcome, Harden beginning the 2023-2024 season in Philadelphia is, by a comfortable margin, the best value bet on the board.
My best bet: Philadelphia 76ers (+1,200)
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