Approximately a month ago, the Philadelphia 76ers made it known that they were no longer pursuing a trade for James Harden.

Despite this, Harden himself was resolute in his decision not to return to training camp and continued to hold out hope for a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Now, as reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast, it appears that the Clippers have also decided to discontinue their trade discussions involving the Sixers’ guard.

Windhorst disclosed that Philadelphia did make an attempt to acquire Harden, but ultimately, it was the Clippers who decided to put an end to the negotiations. He explained, “[The Clippers] attempted to pursue a trade for James Harden, and that deal did not come to fruition. From what I gather, it was the Clippers who said, ‘There’s no deal here. We’re moving on.’ I presume that while they could potentially revisit this during the midseason, this is likely the course of action they will take.”

Leading up to the 2023-24 season, the Clippers were seen as the prime destination for Harden. In June, the guard had formally requested a trade from the 76ers and even exercised his $35.6 million USD player option for the upcoming season. Harden had also shown interest in the New York Knicks, but no viable agreement materialized between the two teams. With the NBA season set to commence in October, it appears that Harden will continue to be part of the Sixers, although the nature of discussions between the team’s management and the player remains uncertain in light of his outspoken dissatisfaction with the front office.