The Los Angeles Clippers seems to be the only team James Harden wants to join since he requested that the Philadelphia 76ers trade him in late June, according to Yahoo Sports. However, the Clippers, which are owned by Steve Ballmer, the 10th-richest man on the Forbes Billionaires 2023 list, haven't showed much passion to acquire Harden at all costs.

"Let's be clear: No matter the Sixers' wishes, Harden still intends to play for the Clippers during the 2023-24 season, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Since the beginning of this subplot, Harden and his representation opted in to pinpoint Los Angeles as his next destination and have maintained a confidence he will ultimately join the Clippers," Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported.

"There has been no substantial trade conversation for Philadelphia regarding Harden and any other team, sources said, as rival front offices have been briefed on Harden's unwavering focus on the Clippers and the Clippers alone. The 76ers have held talks with other teams and have established their high asking price for the league's assist leader," he added.

Ballmer has been one of the most willing spenders in the NBA since he bought the Clippers in 2014. The team's total salary of $197.96 million for the 2023-24 season is the third-highest among all 30 teams. Splurging on the best players has never been a problem for the team.

However, things have changed this summer. The fact that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have the player option for the 2024-25 campaign makes the Clippers focus on extension negotiations with their star pair.

Usually it's a no-brainer for any team to make the best offer to keep Leonard and George, but the situation at the moment is a little different for them with the Clippers. The best record the two have achieved since they joined hands in the Clippers in 2019 was taking the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2021. It was a history-making moment for the Clippers, but not good enough for players like Leonard or George to be proud of.

Moreover, Leonard has missed a total of 147 games, including the whole 2021-22 campaign, in the four seasons as a Clipper. George has missed 119 games and never made 60 appearances for the team in any of the four regular seasons. Leonard and George are currently 32 and 33 years old. If the Clippers sign maximum extensions or similar deals with them, the thought of paying either of them over $60 million when they are 37 or 38 years old can be very scary financially.

That's why there have been rumors about the Clippers trading George recently. It happened nearly during every offseason in the past two years, but it is a possible scenario if the Clippers can't reach an extension with him. They have no reason to let him go as a free agent.

As a coincidence, Harden only has one year left of his current contract as well. Having accepted a $14 million pay cut by inking the two-year deal in summer 2022 and exercised the $35.6 million player option in June, he will understandably seek "financial compensation" when he negotiates an extension with the Clippers. Holding three max deals will not only be a huge financial burden for any team, but also eliminate most of the Clippers' ways to enhance their lineup.

Meanwhile, there is the possibility of Harden playing only one season in the Clippers and then leaving unhappy. He had a fallout with the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets and today's 76ers when he wanted to go. Such history make the Clippers think more carefully when they make their move. They may be willing to give some assets for Harden, but not bet everything in their hands.

The 76ers don't rush to trade Harden either. They made it clear that they will only trade Harden for players who can keep the team as a title contender and won't rule out the possibility of him playing the 2023-24 season for the team.

The 76ers can take it if Harden leaves as a free agent in summer 2024. When his contract comes due, it will release enough cap space for the team to make the best offer to Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton. When the 76ers traded for Harden with the nets in 2022, they only gave up two first-round draft picks – one for 2022, the other for 2027, both unprotected – Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, not to mention that they managed to get rid of Ben Simmons and his toxic contract. What the team got from the deal and Harden's time with them is at least worth what they gave up.

What Joel Embiid said recently might raise some eyebrows in the 76ers' management, but it was not bad enough to sound the alarm. "I just want to win a championship," the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player told sports marketer Maverick Carter earlier this week. "Whatever it takes. I don't know where that's gonna be, whether it's in Philly or anywhere else, I just want to have a chance to accomplish that."

Embiid's remarks could be interpreted as a message to the 76ers that he is losing his patience. Nonetheless, his contract won't come due until 2027 – with a player option for the 2026-27 season. Even if he requests to leave, the 76ers can wait to see what happens with the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard. The Trail Blazers have no intention to sell 33-year-old Lillard cheap. Neither should the 76ers do so with 29-year-old Embiid.

When Harden left the Rockets to join the Nets, he wanted to win a title and was willing to do so by transforming from a three-straight-time scoring leader into a playmaker. Back then, many agreed that what fit Harden the best is to play as the No. 1 ball-handler, the second-in-command and the No. 3 scorer in a team that should have at least two trustworthy defenders on their roster.

The irony is, the 76ers last season were exactly a team like this.