For the third time in two-and-a-half years, James Harden will be on the move. After trading Houston for Brooklyn and then Brooklyn for Philadelphia, Harden is eyeing a move away from the franchise after not agreeing on a long-term contract extension.
Harden reportedly is leaving due to poor treatment from the 76ers front office, a notion that NBA analyst Josh Eberley didn’t agree with, given Harden’s track record of burning bridges with previous teammates and organizations.
“Harden was mad about Dwight not setting screens, CP3 wanting to dribble sometimes, Russ not smiling off-ball, Kyrie being Kyrie, and Philadelphia not wanting to pay him after going out sad two years in a row. What’s the constant?”
Harden was mad about Dwight not setting screens, CP3 wanting to dribble sometimes, Russ not smiling off-ball, Kyrie being Kyrie, Philadelphia not wanting to pay him after going out sad two years in a row. What’s the constant? https://t.co/fNiOVL8VI3
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) June 30, 2023
Harden is reportedly interested in joining the Los Angeles Clippers and returning to his hometown after 14 seasons in the NBA. Even if he’s on his last legs, the Clippers would look lethal after adding Harden.
He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season.
What Went Wrong With Harden And His Co-Stars?
Harden can eye a move to LAC, but there’s no guarantee he’ll have a good relationship with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, given his history.
He left the OKC Thunder for the Houston Rockets in 2012 for justified reasons, as the team wanted to underpay him and have him be a sixth man when he knew he was capable of more. His first running mate was Dwight Howard, as the pair had an underwhelming three-season run together where they peaked by reaching the Western Conference Finals. Harden didn’t mesh with Howard, who wanted a bigger role on the offense instead of being a secondary star next to Harden.
Howard left as a free agent and Houston brought Chris Paul to be Harden’s co-star in 2017. Despite their potential for championship greatness that injuries and historically bad shooting took away, their relationship ended sourly as Harden didn’t want to continue sharing the ball with Paul after their 2019 playoff exit.
Paul was traded for Russell Westbrook, who was Harden’s teammate for just one season. The same troubles with Paul resurfaced, as the 2018 MVP couldn’t figure out how to share the ball with Russ well enough. They stood no chance against the Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference semi-finals, prompting Harden to ask out the next season.
Harden went to Houston to form a big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the Brooklyn Nets in 2021. Their partnership was plagued by injuries and off-court issues regarding Kyrie that forced Harden to ask for a trade to the 76ers in 2022, which he received.
Now after a season and a half in Philly, Harden’s leaving yet again after failing to get out of the second round, something he hasn’t done since 2018. He and Embiid had a great relationship on the court, but management issues seemingly took a toll, and now, James will be on the move yet again.
He has averaged 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.0 assists over his career, proving he’s an all-time great. But his relationships with his former co-stars also prove that he might not be the best teammate.
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