James Harden's stalemate with the Philadelphia 76ers has not yet reached a conclusion. Despite opting into his contract in search of a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers in July and Harden vowing three times that Sixers general manager Daryl Morey is a liar, Harden is still a Sixer. He didn't report to the first day of Sixers training camp as a signal of his continued frustration with the franchise.

In the mean time, there hasn't been many updates regarding a potential trade with the Clippers and Sixers for Harden… until Thursday. Shams Charania of The Athletic appeared on Bally Sports' ‘The Rally' and provided insight on what each team is looking for in a potential James Harden trade, with the Sixers really eying Clipper guard Terance Mann.

Charania reported the Clippers have offered the Sixers one (1) unprotected first-round pick and an unprotected pick swap, but that the Sixers want more. And that they also want Terance Mann. The Clippers have long valued Mann highly, but so has the league. They kept him out of talks for Fred VanVleet in February at the trade deadline. Charania also reported that Mann's name popped up in trade talks for Jrue Holiday. The league is telling the Clippers that Mann has a good bit of value, enough that the Clippers should relent and include him in a trade for James Harden for a multitude of reasons.

2) Terance Mann is who he is

There's nothing wrong with a quality role player who can be either a nice fourth or fifth starter or a sparkplug off the bench. That's who Terance Mann is. There's still a ton of value in players like that. That's why so many teams want Mann. But Terance Mann isn't a star. James Harden still is.

To that point: Terance Mann is about to enter his fifth season in the NBA. Really, by the time players enter their third season, the league and those who follow it know who they are. That's changed a bit with how many more young players are entering the NBA after their freshman season along with every NBA player continuing to improve while in the league. But for the most part, most know who a player is when they've been in the league as long as Mann has.

Perhaps there is more juice to squeeze out of Mann, but it's hard to see much evidence of that. According to Mann's Basketball-Reference page, Mann has posted usage rates of 12.6%, 15.1%, 16%, and 15.3% during his four-year career. Granted, the Clippers have had a lot of playmakers and on-ball creators during his time there, but if he had legitimate creation chops, the Clippers would have explored that more.

Terance Mann has also averaged fewer than three pullup field goal attempts per game in each of his four seasons. In those seasons, Mann has shot 33.3%, 34.2%, 34.6%, and 40.7% from the field. His best effective field goal percentage on those shots has been 49.6% which he posted last year. That number is still below average or close to average at best. Again, Mann is a solid player. But he's not a star.

1) Is James Harden the best and last star the Clippers can acquire?

James Harden, Clippers, 76ers

The Clippers badly need a player who can set up Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while also being able to play off of them off the ball. James Harden can do that. But who is the next best player available that can? Malcolm Brogdon? With all due respect to Brogdon, who is another solid player, Harden brings much-higher upside. And the Clippers need that upside because the Western Conference is beginning to leave the Clippers on the outside looking in.

The Denver Nuggets just won the title and embarrassed the Clippers the last time they played in a playoff series. The Lakers have reshaped and revamped their roster and look more complete top to bottom than the Clippers. The Suns swung trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal within the span of five months. The Golden State Warriors just won the title two years ago.

Conclusion

That isn't even beginning to mention young, upstart teams like the Kings, Wolves, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Thunder continuing to improve. The Clippers have to keep up somehow. James Harden would help with that. As much as they want to keep Terance Mann and take pride in his development under their watch, he shouldn't be a dealbreaker for a Clipper team running out of time.