James Harden’s time with the 76ers could be over, at least from his standpoint.
On Monday, a video surfaced of Harden in China on tour with Adidas, telling people at a charity event that Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is a ‘liar.”
“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
In the summer of 2022, Harden, who was acquired by the 76ers from the Nets at the trade deadline in the 2021-22 season, opted out of his $47 million player option and signed a new, team-friendly, two-year deal worth $68.6 million with a player option in the second year of the contract.
This summer, Harden, who averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists per contest last season, opted into his contract that would pay him $35.6 million next season.
Philadelphia had been reportedly working on trading the 10-time All-Star, mainly with the Clippers, which is reportedly Harden’s preferred destination, but recently, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers have ended trade talks and expected the 33-year-old to report to trading camp.
The breakdown of Harden’s relationship with Morey is surprising. Harden and Morey, who were with each other in Houston, had what appeared to be a very close relationship, but that relationship is not the same. Maybe the two had a handshake agreement of some sort; who knows?
How this plays out should be very interesting. Philly believes they can compete for an NBA title with reigning league MVP Joel Embiid and Harden, which could be accurate, but in the end, this is only good news if Philly can get proper value for Harden, which may have become harder after today.
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