- James Harden’s trade battle with the Philadelphia 76ers continues
- Harden’s issues with the team went back as early as February 2023
- The former MVP is gunning to land up with the LA Clippers ahead of next season
Despite all the murky drama that unfolded, James Harden is still very much a part of the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a recent development, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote about how former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers and some of the players had an issue with the guard’s nightlife prior to a game.
Here’s an excerpt from her latest on the controversial saga that’s been going on:
“On Feb. 27, Philadelphia lost 101-99 at home to the Heat — the team that had knocked the Sixers out of the playoffs a year ago. On the surface, there was nothing all that remarkable about the loss, except that it was the second in a row to a team they would likely have to go through in the playoffs. Two nights earlier they had dropped a 110-107 game to their other playoff nemesis, the Boston Celtics.”
For a team with championship aspirations, it was a good moment to refocus. Especially with the next game being a rematch in Miami two days later.
But Harden didn’t travel with the team to Miami, sources said. He traveled separately, with permission from the front office, to enjoy the nightlife. This is not uncommon in the NBA, or for Harden, but it didn’t sit well with Rivers and several players on the team, sources said.
Days later, Rivers brought it up in a team meeting, sources said, specifically mentioning several of the players who expressed concerns about Harden’s actions.”
Safe to say, Harden’s actions didn’t sit well with the team gunning for a title, especially after being frequent playoff contenders who failed to make deeper runs in the postseason.
And after all the drama, the Sixers did manage to make the playoffs but ended their run in the second round against the Celtics, who ousted them 4-3.
James Harden Wanted To Be The No. 1 Option On The Sixers
Given his prolific run in the league, James Harden reportedly expected to be the No. 1 option in Philadelphia, despite the presence of franchise star and current MVP Joel Embiid.
Speaking to Shannon Sharpe on Undisputed, Showtime’s Rachel Nichols opined it was about ‘The Beard’ wanting to be recognized as the team’s No. 1 option again.
“He still thinks of himself as the guy from that Game 1 or the guy from that Game 4 (against the Boston Celtics). He thinks he should be leading the show,” Nichols said. “The reason why he wanted out of Philadelphia in the first place is that it’s the Joel Embiid show right now. He wants a different role.”
That though will be unlikely given how things are shaping up at the time of writing. Ever since asking out of the Sixers, Harden has pulled no punches in the aftermath, calling team president Daryl Morey ‘a liar’ in China publicly.
This also led to the league punishing him with a $100,000 fine, but that doesn’t seem to have changed his stance on the whole shebang.
Will James Harden Play For The LA Clippers?
James Harden has expressed his wish to play for the LA Clippers, who are all set to rein him in, but that would mean trading away with a major chunk of their assets which puts the Sixers in a position to deal with them in the first place.
More importantly, the Clippers will also have to weigh in about the fact that Harden isn’t producing at his MVP-season caliber anymore. In 2018, he averaged a scintillating 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game on 44% shooting.
Since then, there has been a decline in his scoring after he forced his way off to the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Add to this his struggles in the postseason, the Clippers will be wary of what they will be trading away to get Harden in their ranks.
For now, it looks like Harden will push his case to be traded before the start of the season. Should he remain a Sixer, expect more drama to unfold closer to the start of the new season.
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