James Harden Calls Out Philadelphia Sixers GM
Earlier this offseason James Harden picked up his $35.6 million player option. With him picking up the player option the Sixers agreed to search for a trade at Harden’s request. Harden’s preferred destination is the Los Angeles Clippers and they had talks periodically, but no deal materialized.
On Saturday sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski the Sixers announced they were stopping Harden trade talks and want to bring him back for the start of the season which will set up an uncomfortable situation for Harden and the organization.
Two days after announcing they were not trading Harden anymore, a clearly frustrated Harden took matters into his own hands and called out Sixers general manager Daryl Morey.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of, 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.” Harden said during an Adidas media event in China.
Harden is unhappy because Morey didn’t offer him a long-term maximum-level contract. Now with Harden coming back, no new deal or trade can hurt the team.
His mindset will not be on a championship but on ways to get out of Philly. Morey was the general manager for the Houston Rockets when Harden was there, their relationship goes back more than 10 years.
This will be the third team in three years Harden has tried to force his way out of. Harden was one of the best players in the league during his time in Houston where he was the 2018 NBA MVP. Then he wanted a trade to Brooklyn, he plays in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but they never fully develop, and Harden then forces his way out to go to Philly with Morey.
Harden, now playing with the Sixers, led the league in assists last season. He took a back seat to Sixers star Joel Embiid which in a way is good for him, so he doesn’t have to carry the whole team as he did in Houston. Still, that is not enough for him either.
Harden showed flashes of his old self during the playoffs, in the Eastern Conference semis Game 1 he had 45 points and in Game 4 he had 42. In Games 2 and 6 he was 0-for-6 on 3s and in Game 7 managed to only score nine points and was scoreless in the second half.
The Sixers want to bring him back because they feel like they have the best shot to win a championship with Harden there. Plus, whom would they trade him for? The Sixers asking price on Harden was steep and none of the teams in the league were willing to touch it.
The Sixers dealt with this situation with Ben Simmons when his relationship with the organization got bad. Now they have a new coach in Nick Nurse who will not take it easy on Harden. The nurse knows this team has not made it past the conference semis in a long time. If Harden wants to really win, he will have to adjust to a different mindset.
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