As the James Harden Saga rages on, the Philadelphia 76ers are now sifting through trade offers for the former MVP after he opted into the final season of his two-year, $68.6 million contract. Harden was originally thought to have interest in rejoining the Houston Rockets, but it was ultimately decided to be a leverage play, with him expected to return to the Sixers.

In recent days, Harden has also been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers, who are rumored to have both Norman Powell and Marcus Morris Sr. on the trade block.

“Chicago would be one potential trade partner to keep in mind, as the Bulls have made Zach LaVine available in conversations this offseason,” according to Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer. However, Fischer also notes that the Bulls could opt to send the Sixers an older star in DeMar DeRozan.

Both players would make sense to move for Harden in a vacuum. However, Philadelphia's preference could be on whether they want to acquire a volume scorer in the prime of his career in LaVine or an established playmaker that could replace a lot of what Harden brought to the table in DeRozan.

No matter what they prefer, the Sixers are expected to take their time in exploring their options.

The Bulls' preference could come down to whether they want to be major players for free agents in the 2025 or 2026 offseason, when myriad stars could become available in the prime of their careers. If so, trading LaVine instead of DeRozan could be their option, with Harden and DeRozan set to become free agents in 2024.