- Adrian Wojnarowski says Harden wants to make 76ers “uncomfortable”
- The Harden saga goes back to June when he opted into his final year
- Harden and Morey have cut all ties amid an ugly breakup
76ers star James Harden shocked the world on Monday when he publicly called out 76ers GM Daryl Morey as a “liar” as he vowed to never play for his team again. To say the situation is bad would be an understatement for Philly, who are now facing the loss of a second co-star in the Joel Embiid era.
The plan for Morey, at least for now, is to carry on business as usual unless they get a suitable offer for James. Harden, however, is determined to do everything he can to force Morey’s hand.
“This goes back to late June, James Harden opted into the last year of his contract for $35.5 million,” said Adrian Wojnarowski on NBA Today. “Instead of going in and negotiating a long-term extension with the Sixers, James Harden and his agent opted into the deal and allowed him to be traded… but the Sixers haven’t had any interest in trading James Harden. Harden’s goal is to make the Sixers so uncomfortable, that they just decide that they cannot bring him back to training camp that they do a trade.”
.@wojespn with the latest on the James Harden situation in Philly 👀
"This has been escalating behind the scenes all year. Now it's playing out in public." pic.twitter.com/P4D4ph8RuQ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 14, 2023
As Harden reminded us back in 2019, holdouts can go beyond just not showing up for your team. In Houston, James made it a point to go out partying in the clubs to show his disinterest in playing for the organization. By the end, the drama and mayhem he put the Rockets through forced them to bow to his wishes.
Of course, Morey doesn’t seem nearly as willing to comply as the others, and things could get much uglier before they get better in Philadelphia.
James Harden Has Played His Final Game As A 76er
With both sides standing their ground, it’s looking unlikely that Harden will ever suit up for the 76ers again. With only one year left on his deal, James is set to become a free agent next season, and Morey will lose him for nothing if he’s not traded before then.
But even if he stays and somehow makes peace with the Sixers, what hope is there of making a meaningful run? Despite last season’s epic collapse, they added nothing to their roster this off-season, and nobody can say they got better.
For the Sixers, it’s just another wasted summer in a long line of wasted summers during the Joel Embiid era.
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