James Harden, 76ers will explore trade scenarios; latest news, rumors, trades

NBA free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET Friday as teams can start negotiating deals with free-agent players. Those deals can become official July 6. Between Friday and July 6, all deals can be agreed upon but are not binding agreements between team and player. They become official once the deal is signed July 6 or later.

A handful of teams have significant cap space, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, while many others have some juggling to do in order to retain their current players as the new collective bargaining agreement takes effect Saturday.

Some of the top players to watch during free agency: James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton, Draymond Green and Fred VanVleet. Other players could shake up the offseason, such as Damian Lillard’s status with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Some moves are already being made as qualifying offers are being extended, along with contract extension and player/team options news. Follow Yahoo Sports for the latest NBA free-agency news.

James Harden reportedly picks up player option in order to facilitate trade from Sixers

One-time NBA MVP James Harden has picked up $35.6 million player option with the 76ers in anticipation of working with the team on a trade out of Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Harden, who turns 34 years old in August, averaged 21 points, a league-high 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Sixers this past season, making his 10th straight All-Star appearance. A strained tendon in his right foot and a sore left Achilles’ tendon cost him 24 games during the regular season and a possible All-NBA appearance — a growing trend in his career. Soft-tissue injuries also sidelined Harden in his two previous seasons, and he has not made an All-NBA roster since he was on the Houston Rockets in 2020. Read more on Harden’s options. 

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