After 14 seasons in the NBA, is James Harden on the verge of total exile? According to basketball legend Paul Pierce, the answer may be yes. On a recent episode of ‘KG Certified,’ the former Celtics star explained why Harden is already halfway to sabotaging his own career.
“This could possibly be James Harden’s last year in the league,” said Paul Pierce. “I mean, think about it — he’s made a lot of money. And this has nothing to do with his game. But we saw this happen with Allen Iverson. We saw it happen with Melo, even though Melo chose to play a certain role and got back in and played for a few years. But James wants to play a certain way. What style fits to where James Harden can go and they can welcome him with open arms and say, ‘This is your team,’ or, ‘Are you gon’ play a role here?’”
Harden, 34, hasn’t been the same since he left the Houston Rockets in 2019, but it hasn’t stopped him from demanding the ultimate star treatment in Philadelphia. Before free agency this summer, Harden made it known that he wanted to sign a maximum contract and when he didn’t get offered one, the 76ers became his latest victim of chaos and dysfunction. Unfortunately for Harden, however, these antics may be what end his basketball career for good.
Will Harden Play For The 76ers Again?
Harden has already abandoned his team after making a brief appearance during practice last week. Since training camp started weeks ago, Harden has only been to one team event and has left no word on when or if he plans to return. Meanwhile, 76ers GM Daryl Morey has done little to rectify the situation. Besides confirming his intentions to eventually trade Harden, Morey hasn’t provided updates on the ongoing negotiations between him and the Clippers.
For now, the expectation is that Harden will not play a minute for the Sixers this season and it could be weeks or months before an agreement is made that sends him somewhere else. But at this point, wherever Harden goes, there will always be a hint of doubt that follows. First in Houston, then Brooklyn, and now Philadelphia, James has destroyed virtually every team that he’s been on and it doesn’t bode well for his chances of securing a long-term contract next summer.
Can The Clippers Save Harden?
With his time in Philly all but over, the only place for Harden to look is the only team he wants to go to: the Los Angeles Clippers. There, the Beard is aiming to find a long-term basketball home alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and former Rockets/Thunder teammate, Russell Westbrook. On paper, the Clippers are certainly more stacked than the 76ers, but will Harden be a good fit?
With averages of 21 points and 10.7 assists per game last season, Harden showed that he can serve a role as the main playmaker, and would likely play a similar role on the Clippers, who have long search for a permanent solution in the backcourt. It’s an undoubtedly lucrative situation for the former MVP, but people said the same when he joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn so it’s far from a guarantee for the 10x All-Star.
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