NBA Trade Rumors: PJ Tucker, James Harden to be a package deal for Clippers?

NBA Trade Rumors: PJ Tucker and James Harden may in fact be a package deal for LA Clippers.

James Harden has made it abundantly clear that he wants the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him to the LA Clippers. So far, there hasn’t been much traction on a potential deal. As many wonder to think what a potential package could look like from the Clippers, it’s important to note that there could be another player part of that deal coming from Philadelphia.

According to a recent report from Michael Scotto, PJ Tucker is a player that is of interest to the Clippers. And if the Clippers do end up making a move for Harden, you’d have to imagine that Tucker will most likely be included.

In a way, you can say that Tucker and Harden are somewhat of a package deal for the Clippers.

Will the LA Clippers step up with an offer?

The big question, of course, is whether or not the Clippers will end up offering up a deal that the Sixers would be open to accepting. According to recent reports, the Sixers’ asking price for Harden is high. And if that doesn’t change, it’s hard to imagine that the Clippers would be all-in for Harden.

The one player that the Sixers reportedly want the Clippers to include is Terance Mann. However, up until now, he’s a player that the Clippers don’t want to include in a deal. And it’s easy to understand why. Mann is a talented young player that is still getting better. Without many draft picks available, it would not be that smart for the Clippers to punt away one of their good and somewhat established future assets.

Especially considering you have no idea what Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will do after this season. Both have a player option for the 2024-25 season and there’s at least a chance that one or both of them could look to leave in free agency.

And that’s where the stalemate exists. The Sixers want fair value for Harden. However, because any team that trades for him is essentially trading for a one-year rental, it’s hard to expect the Clippers to be all that motivated to get a deal done.

As the NBA offseason heads into the dog days of July and August, there appears to be no traction on a potential Harden (and Tucker) deal to LA. However, from all indications, he seems set on finding his way to the Clippers.