As part of the James Harden trade, the Philadelphia 76ers will receive the lesser of three first round picks held but the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2026 draft, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Thunder hold their own pick, as well as the Houston Rockets' top-4 protected pick and one from the Los Angeles Clippers that will become protected. For the Thunder, they are trading a 2026 first round pick in hopes that a pick swap with the Clippers in 2027 creates a greater return.

The Sixers are widely expected to make that pick available between now and the deadline in hopes of upgrading their roster this season.

James Harden is "ecstatic" to finally be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Harden was hoping to fly to Los Angeles as quickly as possible and could attend Tuesday's game when the Clippers host the Orlando Magic.

Harden requested a trade from the Sixers after he opted into his $35.6 million contract for the 23-24 season.

Harden, like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, grew up in Southern California.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers ramped up trade talks again on a James Harden deal over the weekend and struck a deal early in the morning on Tuesday.

"There was a tremendous amount of pressure on the Sixer organization to find a deal," said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. "Harden was working out individually with the organization as the team was away playing really well. A close loss at Milwaukee. A couple of wins, including at Toronto and then back home again. 

"Tyrese Maxey, the league's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, thirty points a game... Joel Embiid looking like the MVP. This was a Sixer team that ultimately decided as an organization that they simply could not bring James Harden back into that mix. That they had gone as far as they could with this. They got back with the Clippers and put together a deal... There was compromise on both sides. The Sixers wanted Terance Mann, they did not get him in this deal. But they did get those two first round picks. The prime of them, the 28th pick from the Clippers. 

"What the Sixers want to do now is be able to go out and scour the market. It's probably not going to be in the near term. This is not a time teams are ready to start parting with players. Although I'm sure they'll try to start. But perhaps closer to the trade deadline, or into December, January when more guys are eligible to be traded, you can expect Daryl Morey to go out and use all these picks he's got now...

"The Sixers think they have as much value to go out and look for a player as what Jrue Holiday cost. They didn't have the assets to get Jrue Holiday last time around. But the next Jrue Holiday, if there's a Jrue Holiday type player available before the deadline, the Sixers think they're at the front of the line now. And they keep their cap space for next summer when they want to be able to get a max player in free agency, or be able to have the assets to take on the salary of a big time player. So that's what Daryl Morey wanted in this.

"He was ready to play this out. I think there was a period of time when he thought they could reincorporate James Harden. But Harden made it clear he was not going to play ball. Literally, figuratively with the Sixers. While he had been okay these last few days around the team. When he was around, there was a sense that wasn't going to last and he was going to do what he needed to do to get this team to trade him."

Even as the Philadelphia 76ers barred James Harden from traveling on the team's season-opening road trip, they remain resolute in trade talks. The Sixers aren't backing down in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers and continue to insist that Terance Mann be a part of the trade package.

Part of Philadelphia's insistence on acquiring Mann, is that they know Mann was offered to the Portland Trail Blazers when the Clippers tried to acquire Jrue Holiday. Portland ultimately traded Holiday to the Boston Celtics.

To date, the Clippers have refused to part with Mann, in addition to unprotected first-round picks and swaps. The Clippers reportedly believe they are the only suitor for Harden. Philadelphia believes there is pressure on the Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George pending free agents this summer.

When James Harden returned to the Philadelphia 76ers this week, he interpreted the notion that staying back and not traveling with the team on their two-game road trip was "a suggestion rather than a mandate," sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Harden participated in portions of the shootaround session on Wednesday with the intention of joining the Sixers on their flight to Milwaukee. 

Harden arrived at the fixed-base operator airport to board the team flight, but he was stopped by a security official who notified him that he was not permitted to accompany the team, sources tell Haynes.

Elton Brand and Nick Nurse spoke to Harden to explain that the organization prefers he accepts and follows their workout plan.

Harden was frustrated but departed the airport without incident. 

Harden has not been fined by the Sixers for any of his absences, sources also tell Haynes. 

The Los Angeles Clippers have stepped away from trade talks with the Philadelphia 76ers on James Harden for a second time. The Clippers initially walked away from trade talks with the Sixers in August, which was followed by Harden publicly calling Daryl Morey "a liar" during an event in China.

"I'm told with the start of the season now, at least for the foreseeable future, the Clippers are stepping back from these trade talks about James Harden," said Adrian Wojnarowski. "They are essentially pausing them. They have talked with Philadelphia for months about a trade. They have made their best offer for Harden. They are now going to start their season and see what this team looks like with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and a healthy Paul George. 

"The Clippers may revisit this at some point, but they know they are the only bidder for James Harden. They are the only team who has made a serious offer. They don't want to bid against themselves.

"While the Clippers may revisit this later in the season, I think the Sixers have to wonder 'Have we already gotten the best offer we're going to get for James Harden?' Especially as the games start to peel off the calendar and if you're the Clippers, why offer more when there's fewer and fewer games that James Harden can play for you?"

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers continue to be at a stalemate with their discussions on a James Harden trade as both sides are firm in what they are offering and what they want. Harden has been away from the Sixers for 10 days and reported back to the team shortly before their flight to Milwaukee for their opening night.

"We know he wants a trade," said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. "He's made it pretty clear he was not going to make this easy on Philly if he didn't get the trade. It hasn't happened. It's nowhere close. It is nowhere in range. Just those talks are nowhere between Philly and the Clippers. There's a wide gulf between those two organizations. 

"The Clippers believe they've made, by far, the best offer for James Harden. The only real serious offer for James Harden. 

"Daryl Morey wants more. Says he has a value on an All-Star guard. I think the way the Clippers look at it is that the market dictates the value. Each side certainly does what is best for them. For the Clippers, that is not including Terance Mann in the deal. That is not including a second first round pick in the deal. That includes not taking on, perhaps, salary in a trade for Harden. For Philly, they said they only want to do a deal that allows them to get the assets to get another high level player to replace James Harden. That's hard to do. They don't become available. There's a reason people don't want to trade those players.

"So Phily has been in no rush to get this deal done. At least on anything but their own terms. But for all the posturing and in-and-out with James Harden in the preseason, the season is starting. They open up Thursday. If the Sixers get to a point where they want to fine, or essentially dock James Harden's pay. That's $389,000 per game. We're not there.

"Again, he is on excused leave. The team has been patience with him. I think the league will have some say in that at some point. There is a new Player Participation Rule that is going to be tested in a pretty unique way with the James Harden situation."

Harden is owed $35.6 million for the coming season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have asked James Harden not to travel with the team on their road trip to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and at the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Harden returned to the Sixers on Wednesday after a 10-day absence with his bags packed for the road trip.

Harden is seeking a trade from the Sixers to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers remain interested in trading for James Harden, but are continuing to not bid against themselves given what appears to be a lack of leverage on the part of the Philadelphia 76ers. The sticking point on a trade for Harden appears to be over the inclusion of Terance Mann.

Before the draft, the Clippers had the opportunity to trade for Malcolm Brogdon, but backed out over injury concerns. The Boston Celtics subsequently traded Brogdon to the Portland Trail Blazers and he is presumably available, but the Clippers still prefer a trade for Harden.

"The Clippers want Harden," said Zach Lowe. "It's a real thing. They want Harden. They want him more than they want Malcolm Brogdon. Pretty confident in that. And the fact that they're this interested in Harden, interested enough to throw out an unprotected pick. Or whatever it is. Whatever offer they've thrown out. I think is a vote of slight anxiety at the very least that their team as presently constructed is simply not good enough to win the title. Which is kind of depressing because, in a way, trading everything for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George was supposed to inoculate you from having to trade almost everything again for another player while Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were still on your team. Not a minor trade. That was in play. Not a small upgrade here or there. But here's everything we have left, go get us something else. I think they hoped that this was the team. This was the team that would get over the hump."

The New York Knicks have made acquiring Joel Embiid their number one priority, should he become available on the trade market. New York is willing to let Philadelphia choose from a package of players and draft picks to make a deal work.

The Knicks are reportedly putting Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Evan Fournier and two to three first-round picks on the table for Embiid. The idea would be to let the Sixers choose three players from that grouping, as well as the draft picks.

To this point, there are no indications the 76ers are considering trading the reigning MVP. Philadelphia remains committed to building the roster around Embiid, even as they work through trade talks involving James Harden.