James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers remain at sort of an impasse. The team did not want to make a long-term commitment to the former MVP, and Harden has his heart on playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. Although there are potential barriers standing in the way of reaching that resolution, this has apparently been The Beard's plan since the onset of free agency.

“Some with the Sixers were a little bit surprised James Harden opted into the final year of his player option,” Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported. “Harden knew the team he wanted to go to, the Clippers, and the only way to get there and get his money was to opt in because of their restrictions with the salary cap. There’s still been dialogue between the two teams.”

Though, “dialogue” between the teams has not really accelerated into anything serious as of yet. LA is reportedly hesitant to give up guard Terance Mann in a potential Harden trade. It might be in Philly's best interest to keep pressing, however, and find a way to close a deal. Fans surely remember how the 10-time All-Star reacted when the Houston Rockets did not trade him to the Brooklyn Nets by the start of the 2020-21 season.

The 76ers have enough to worry about. They cannot afford any potential in-house turmoil. Evidentially, there was hope from management to keep the existing core in tact and give it another go with James Harden. The organization was not ready to completely hitch themselves to that wagon, though.

“To my understanding, the best the Sixers would’ve considered was something along the lines of a two-year deal, which would’ve included a team option, and that type of short-term commitment wasn’t going to appeal to Harden,” Scotto wrote.

And so we remain in limbo for the time being. The Clippers have strong incentive to maximize the talents of their veteran core- Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook- and could eventually just acquiesce to some of Philly's demands. Either way, it is probably not wise to bet against Harden getting his way. Especially when considering his track record.