The Philadelphia 76ers have gone through a whirlwind of headlines since James Harden opted in with the hopes of being traded. Among the biggest of them was when Harden went on public record calling Daryl Morey a liar, which led to the former being fined.
Former Sixers star Andre Iguodala explained on the September 20 episode of JJ Redick’s “The Old Man & the Three” why he believes the Sixers should have been fined as an organization.
“Teams should be fined as well when that player is fined. So when James goes and makes these comments, and James is fined, we all know they changed the rules on when you can start negotiating with players before free agency because everybody had their deal done before free agency. We all know that James was told, ‘You’re going to get this deal.’ Hush hush under the table,” Iguodala said.
Iguodala added what teams do in those situations with free agents while questioning the notion that what Harden did warranted a fine.
“The team can say it was an assumption. What did James do wrong to get fined? He said I was lied to. If I lie to you, I’m a liar in that moment. I may not be a liar, but I was a liar within that five seconds. So yes, James Harden made a true statement. So why would he get fined? I would prefer the team should be fined $5 million because come on now. Like yeah, we can’t prove it, but that happened. Like that happened, and that’s where I get upset.”
The Sixers came away financially unscathed from the situation with Harden, but Iguodala makes a fair point that if they made a promise that they broke that led to Harden’s complaints, they deserve some form of punishment.
Sixers Interested in Buddy Hield: Report
On the September 21 episode of “The Rally,” NBA Insider Shams Charania mentioned that the Sixers were among the teams interested in acquiring Buddy Hield, who he had previously reported to have been made available in trade talks by the Indiana Pacers.
“The Lakers were long rumored for Buddy Hield, but you look at teams like Dallas, Philly, Milwaukee. Those are the types of teams that could definitely use a shooter like Buddy Hield. I think they’ve had a level of interest in him over the last several months, and of course, no deal has happened yet,” Charania said.
“The Lakers were long rumored for Buddy Hield… You look at teams like Dallas, Philly, Milwaukee. Those are the types of teams that could definitely use a shooter like Buddy Hield.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania on potential landing spots for Hield.
If and when Harden gets traded, Hield may not be the most ideal return package, but he could at least help the Sixers stay a contender.
Montrezl Harrell May Be Cut to Make Room for Kelly Oubre
After the Sixers signed Kelly Oubre Jr., Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin explained why Montrezl Harrell could hit the waiver wire to make room for Oubre.
“Harrell opted out of his player option only to re-sign with the Sixers on a 1-year deal. Unfortunately, he is likely out for the season after tearing his ACL and meniscus in an offseason workout. It would be a shame if the Sixers moved on from Harrell after his injury. He is a great presence in the locker room, but even if he was healthy, he likely was not going to see much playing time due to the presence of Mo Bamba and the emergence of Paul Reed,” Carlin wrote in a September 21 story.
If the Sixers trade Harden and send away more players than they get back, they wouldn’t have to cut anyone. Given how much Harden is getting paid – 35.6 million for the 2023-24 season – that’s not likely.
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Andre Iguodala Calls for Major Fine for 76ers Over James Harden Drama