Reports: Sixers engaged with Knicks over potential James Harden deal after latter demanded trade

The James Harden saga just took a new turn after new rumours emerged. It has come out that the Philadelphia Sixers held initial talks with the New York Knicks after Harden's trade request. Harden shocked the NBA world when he opted into the final year of his contract and requested a trade.

In addition to holding talks with the Knicks, the Sixers also spoke to the Clippers, Harden's preferred destination. This new report will have New York Knicks fans with a lot to digest.

Chances of the Sixers sending James Harden to the Knicks

The Knicks have garnered a reputation for being linked to all major trade talks. But they have little to show for actually getting trades done. The Donovan Mitchell trade from Utah is a good example. He was linked with the Knicks from the first day but the deal was never closed.

Right now, the Knicks and James Harden are a bad fit. The Knicks already have their starting point guard in Jalen Brunson. Harden is unlikely to want to come off the bench for Brunson.

In addition, Philadelphia would be asking for a huge haul for the star. New York might not be ready to gut their young roster for Harden.

As the league's assist leader and former MVP, James Harden has a storied NBA career. Asking for a trade was surprising to many as Philly was largely viewed as his best option to win.

Playing alongside reigning MVP Joel Embiid would have given James Harden the best chance to clinch a championship. The Sixers were eliminated by the Celtics in Game 7 of the second round of the Eastern Conference.

In that game, Harden had his worst performance of the series. He scored nine points and went 3-for-11 from the field. The Sixers duo of Harden and Embiid is still formidable if they're able to bring their A-game to the playoffs.

The only problem is that James Harden is seemingly not willing to play for the Sixers anymore. He made that abundantly clear when he released a video calling the Sixers' head of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, a liar and stating that he'll never play for him again.

This extreme reaction was likely brought about by failed contract talks. Harden took a pay cut during his last contract and rumours have it that he was assured of a hefty contract in the future.

Well, the new long-term contract has not materialized and he wants out of Philly. For now, Harden's destination is not known but New York is nowhere close to the top of the list.