James Harden wants to leave the Philadelphia 76ers, with the LA Clippers being the former MVP’s preferred destination. Our live blog contains all the latest developments.
This article will be continually updated.
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James Harden on the way to Sixers practice
According to media reports, James Harden is on his way to Sixers training after missing Media Day the day before. “I know he wasn’t here today,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after practice Tuesday. “If he’s here tomorrow, like we said, we’ll make some adjustments. We’ll see what happens.”
The trade demand is still not off the table. According to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden wants to make the Sixers as uncomfortable as possible in the next few days so that he can get his way. “He wants them to feel uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that they don’t believe they can get the best out of him and make a trade,” said the NBA expert.
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James Harden misses Media Day
It had been suggested that James Harden was conspicuously absent from the Sixers’ (mandatory) Media Day. It is likely that Harden will not show up for the start of the preseason in Colorado, even though President Daryl Morey indicated on a PK that he still had hope.
Harden now faces a penalty from the league because attending media day is enshrined in the collective agreement. If Harden doesn’t show up for training camp, there will be further penalties. “We will treat James like any other player, as required by the collective bargaining agreement,” Morey said of possible disciplinary action.
The president of the Sixers commented on Harden’s liar statements for the first time: “I haven’t taken a position on it because it doesn’t help. (…) Everyone in the league knows it, without something like that you can’t do your job in this League. I’m also very grateful that a lot of people have reached out to me and know that it’s not true. It’s disappointing that he chose this path.” Click here for detailed news.
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James Harden calls Daryl Morey a liar
After the talks with the Clippers had no results, Harden initiated the next level of escalation – in China, of all places, where Daryl Morey has been persona non grata since his Hong Kong comments.
“Daryl Morey is a liar,” Harden said at a promotional event. “I will never be part of a team that includes him. Let me repeat that: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be part of a team which he also belongs to.”
The NBA then opened an investigation into whether Harden’s statements were a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Harden was questioned by the league about this, and ultimately Harden had to shell out $100,000. An objection from the players’ union was unsuccessful. Click here for detailed news.
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James Harden: Which teams are interested?
Only the LA Clippers’ interest is documented, but the Californians don’t want Harden at any price. According to reports, it was the Clippers themselves who stopped talks with the Sixers because of their excessive demands. The stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, are said to be in favor of a Harden trade.
Otherwise there is hardly any market for Harden, even if Howard Beck (The Ringer) reported that three other teams are at least looking into the topic. Beck named the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, but these are just speculations.
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James Harden: That’s behind the trade request
As an upcoming free agent, James Harden could have chosen his team himself in the summer of 2023. The Houston Rockets have long been considered a possible destination for Harden after he played there for many years and considers Houston his “home.” The Rockets were also one of the few teams that could have offered Harden a maximum salary contract.
According to Ramona Shelburne (ESPN), the Rockets’ interest leveled off with the appointment of Ime Udoka as head coach. Harden could no longer play Houston and Philadelphia against each other. The Sixers, meanwhile, were reluctant to offer Harden, then 33, his full salary over several years.
But that wasn’t the case, as Sam Amick (The Athletic) reported. Accordingly, the Sixers asked Harden to find a team that would be willing to pay Harden before the Sixers would make an offer. This angered Harden, who was unwilling to re-sign to a short-term, team-friendly contract.
For this reason, Harden pulled out his option for around $35 million, as teams without cap space could have traded for the best assist provider in the league, with the preferred destination always being LA – more precisely the Clippers.
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James Harden: The desire for a new contract
The trade from Brooklyn to Philadelphia was definitely a risk for the Sixers, as the guard could become a free agent in 2022. During the trade, it was reported that Harden wanted to exercise his $47.6 million option, but then he allegedly forgot about it. Harden could have made up for this in the offseason and also signed a contract extension for four years and $223 million. But that never happened.
Instead, Harden let the option expire and signed a new two-year contract in Philadelphia – with the option to leave in 2023. Harden gave up around $14 million and instead signed for around $68 million for two seasons.
At the time, there was speculation about a wink-wink deal. By waiving salary, Philly was able to sign PJ Tucker and Danuel House; there were rumors that the Sixers had made an (illegal) promise to Harden that he would be paid appropriately next summer (4 years, 210 million would have been possible).
The NBA even opened an investigation because of this, but was unable to provide any evidence of a possible under-the-table deal. Curiously, the Sixers still had to pull the trigger on two second-round picksas it was proven that they had negotiated a contract with free agents Tucker and House before the start of free agency.
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James Harden: Not the first trade request
By the way, a trade demand is nothing new when it comes to James Harden. The 2018 MVP forced a change in the 2020 offseason after the Rockets crashed out of the playoffs in the bubble against the Los Angeles Lakers (1-4). A few weeks before the start of preparation, it was first reported that Harden wanted to leave Houston.
At the time, COVID-19 was rampant and Harden did not show up for the start of training in Houston, Instead, the bearded man was spotted at a party in Las Vegas, which violated NBA regulations at the time. Harden joined the Rockets late, out of form, but played eight more games before the Rockets traded him to the Brooklyn Nets after a memorable PK.
Harden only lasted there for a year, even though he never officially requested a trade. According to Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN), he was afraid of the public’s reaction, but the Nets ultimately traded him to the Brooklyn Nets after a few lackluster performances.
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James Harden: His stats in the NBA
TeamSpieleMINPTSFG%3P%REBASTThunder22026,712,744,437,03,42,5Rockets62137,029,644,336,26,07,7Nets8036,823,444,034,88,210,5Sixers7937,121,043,137,06,410,6 GESAMT1.00034,824,744,236,35,67,0
2023-10-04 06:26:00
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