All-Star guard James Harden has exercised his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, so the two sides can work to trade him, ESPN reported on Thursday.

In this way, Harden won't become a free agent this summer, which means the 76ers won't see him leave without getting anything in return. Moreover, his salary for the new season will be a good deal for the team that acquires him, especially compared with the four-year, $213 million extension he can sign with the 76ers at most.

Harden, 33, averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds and an NBA-leading 10.7 assists per game for the 76ers in the 2022-23 season. They made the playoffs as No. 4 in the Eastern Conference and swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Though the 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics in the following East semifinals, Harden was the best-performing player on the team, scoring 40+ points in two games to lead his team to win both.

By contrast, the 76ers' ace, Joel Embiid, who won the Most Valuable Player award last season, was a big disappointment against the Celtics. Harden has been adjusting his style of play since he joined the team in February 2022, trying to assist Embiid to try and win a title. He even accepted a pay cut of $14 million in the summer of 2022 so the 76ers could have enough money to sign P.J. Tucker and Danuel House to improve their squad.

Nonetheless, the 76ers' failure last season made Harden realize that he wouldn't realize his goal of securing a ring with this team. Neither is the team willing to offer him a maximum deal. Therefore, Harden understandably seeks to leave Philadelphia.

Before Harden decided to exercise the player option, he was linked to the Houston Rockets, where he played nine seasons to grow into one of the top players in the league. Meanwhile, the Rockets have some $64 million in salary space, which is more than enough to sign at least one superstar in free agency.

However, the Rockets are overpopulated in the backcourt, where they already had Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. before drafting Amen Thompson in June. They prefer someone who can play both with and without the ball, like Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors, over Harden.

Besides, if Harden's goal is to win the NBA championship, he needs to join a competitive team that is one piece away from the top layer instead of a team that is about to begin or is in the middle of a rebuild. The Los Angeles Clippers belong to the former category and have the contracts of Marcus Morris, Norman Powell and Robert Covington to make a package to trade for Harden. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can shoulder most of the team's offensive duties. They have been searching for a top playmaker like Harden. Furthermore, Ivica Zubac can be a good pick-and-roll partner for Harden, just like Clint Capela in the old days with the Rockets.