After nine long seasons in Houston, James Harden is on the verge of joining his third team in three years. With the Rockets and Nets, James had to force his way out by ugly means, and he’s on track to do the same in Philly.
It’s no surprise at all that fans have started to turn on the veteran guard, but is he right to be forcing his hand? According to the latest reports, the Beard is upset with the 76ers for how they handled his free agency, and Jay Williams explained why:
“Should he feel disrespected? And my answer would be, ‘You’re damn right.’ He better feel disrespected. He dropped two 40-point games in the playoffs and due to the fact that the attention has shrunk around Harden, he better feel disrespected. If James Harden doesn’t feel disrespected, then I will question James Harden’s love for the game of basketball.”
https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1679530829121216526
The 76ers are now at a stalemate with James. While he’s technically under contract for one more season, he has shown a willingness to disrupt the locker room if he doesn’t get his way.
It will be up to GM Daryl Morey to determine how long this goes and whether or not his team gives in to Harden’s trade demands.
76ers Left Harden Hanging This Summer
It’s important to note that Harden has already sacrificed some of his own paychecks to help the Sixers build a contender. His reward was not only an early playoff exit but also the lack of a lucrative new deal from Philly.
“He for sure thought that last summer when he gave $15 million back to help them get PJ Tucker and Danuel House, that that was going to come back his way this summer. As we got closer to free agency, he was getting radio silence,” reported Sam Amick. “He was getting nothing. Essentially he and his agent read the room… so he obviously tried to take control of the situation and opted in.”
It will be interesting to see if the 76ers can mend their relationship with James. If they can’t, it will be interesting to see who they can get to replace him. Either way, Philly has some real issues to address this summer, and they will never reach their goals if they keep losing top-end talent like Ben Simmons and, now, James Harden.
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