NBA free agency 2023 - James Harden's most likely trade destinations - ESPN

Where might James Harden end up after Thursday's news that he will exercise his $35.6 million player option for 2023-24 and seek a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers?

As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the surprising move means Harden will forfeit the potential of signing a much longer contract this summer as an unrestricted free agent in favor of having more landing spots via trade.

By picking up his player option, Harden dramatically increased the number of teams to which he can be traded. Few contenders had enough cap space to offer him a $35.6 million deal in free agency, and while a sign-and-trade was possible, that would have hard-capped his new team at the first luxury tax apron. Now those restrictions are off the table, meaning any team could potentially add the former MVP.

Let's take a look at which teams might be in the market for the NBA's leader in assists per game last season at age 33, as well as how a trade might land the Sixers a replacement for Harden in order to keep contending with reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

Wojnarowski reported the Clippers as one of two possible Harden suitors, and the fit is obvious. Harden would get to return home to L.A., and the Clippers would add the organizer at point guard they've lacked during the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard era.

Additionally, the Clippers face urgency this season to aggregate their midsize salaries for larger ones before such moves are prohibited for teams whose salaries exceed the second luxury tax apron starting with the 2024 offseason. Conveniently, Marcus Morris Sr. and Norman Powell combined are almost an identical salary match for Harden.

The question, then, is how the Clippers make it worth Philadelphia's while — a process that would almost