While attending an Adidas marketing event in China earlier this month, Philadelphia 76ers Guard James Harden called General Manager Daryl Morey a liar and vowed to never be a part of an organization run by Morey. A video was recorded of him making these comments, resulting in the NBA fining him $100,000. This has come after a summer filled with offseason drama surrounding the 2018 MVP.
On June 29, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that James Harden would opt into his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-2024 season, keeping him a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. This was done to request a trade to his preferred destination: the Los Angeles Clippers.
After a summer filled with trade talks, the 76ers ended trade talks at the beginning of the month when no deal was able to be made. They then stated that they planned to bring Harden to training camp.
When asked by 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia what it would take to trade Harden, Morey said that Harden would not be traded if they “don’t get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player.” These comments came before and likely sparked Harden’s reaction.
Harden is coming off of a season in which he averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 assists per game in 58 games played. The 76ers then lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games, where Harden was blamed for his poor performances in the series.
The market for James Harden has shrunk greatly over time. This is largely due to the fact that he has requested a trade three times over his career. A team acquiring him would have to keep him happy in the hopes he would sign a contract extension with them. If they fail to do this, Harden can leave as a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season.
Aside from the finances, Harden’s production has worsened. While his regular season numbers still indicate he is a highly productive player, his tendency to underperform in the playoffs has become a trend. This trend is a concerning one as it has been prominent throughout Harden’s career.
Harden’s age is also a major concern for teams. At 34 years of age, there is a point to be raised that his best years could be behind him. Since he is in the final year of his contract, a team that trades for him would have to offer him a four-year max contract. This is a very risky move for any franchise trying to put their team in the best situation possible. It’s anyone’s guess where Harden ends up before the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season.
