NBA training camp opens in a little less than two months from now and the James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers trade drama has dominated NBA headlines in recent days. The latest iteration of this saga began over the weekend when it was reported that the Sixers had shut down trade talks with the Los Angeles Clippers and other teams as nobody was able to meet their asking price in a trade. Immediately thereafter, Harden, while in China for a tour, publicly ripped into Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey accusing him of being a liar. The drama has predictably caught the attention of the NBA world including former Celtic legend Paul Pierce who took to social media to convey his thoughts.

James Harden opted in to his contract ahead of the free agency period and then requested a trade from the Sixers. His preferred landing spot was reportedly the Clippers, but trade talks never progressed further. Harden was traded to the Sixers during the 2021-22 season in the deal that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Sixers brass reportedly believes they are a championship contender with Harden in the lineup and supposedly still hope to sway him in rejoining the team. With camp rapidly approaching, there are no assurances that Harden will report, quite frankly it's been the opposite.

This past season, Harden still produced at a high level to the tune of 21.0 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 44.1 percent shooting from the field, 38.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 86.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.