For the past two months, the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers have engaged in trade talks for James Harden in an attempt to honor The Beard's trade request following his decision to opt into his contract for the 2023-24 season. However, the Sixers recently came to the conclusion that the Clippers' offer on the table is unsatisfactory, prompting them to end trade talks. This then triggered Harden's outburst in China in which he called Sixers president Daryl Morey a liar.

Most people believe that the main holdup over any potential Clippers-Sixers trade is LA's refusal to include Terance Mann in the deal. However, it doesn't seem like the Sixers are hell-bent on receiving Mann in return in any prospective Harden trade. Instead, the Sixers are trying to squeeze as many future first-round picks from the Clippers as possible, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.

“League sources told Yahoo Sports contrary to popular belief, Morey isn’t stuck on receiving Clippers guard Terance Mann back in a Harden deal, but is coveting future first-round draft picks with the so-called “Seven Year Rule” in effect,” Goodwill wrote.

The Clippers are still out a few picks due to their blockbuster trade for Paul George over four years ago, so the earliest first-rounder they can deal is their 2027 pick. That seems to be what the Sixers front office is targeting, and for justifiable reason, as Kawhi Leonard will be 35 years old before the beginning of the 2026-27 season — and the Klaw isn't even durable enough to begin with.

“Morey is believed to want those [first-round picks] more than the productivity of Mann — who’s on an affordable number the next two years ($10.5 million in ’23-24, $11.4 million in ’24-25),” Goodwill added.

That seems to be an indication that Daryl Morey, indeed, is looking to rebuild the Sixers instead of trying to retool for one last push with Joel Embiid leading the way. But for the Clippers, giving up what remains of their draft capital for a player who has made it known that he intends to land with one team and one team alone is a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, given how toxic the James Harden situation has become, something has to give eventually.