It appears that James Harden‘s standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers will remain that way for a while. Despite that Harden won’t budge on his trade request, NBA Insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that Harden plans to attend training camp but explained why that’s not a good thing for the Sixers.
“Harden is expected at this point to report to training camp, according to league sources. You can cause far more headaches for the organization you’re trying to leave by showing up, as opposed to staying home.”
Fischer added that with his previous trade requests, Harden had made life miserable for the previous teams he played for before they traded him while adding that his team of choice is the Los Angeles Clippers.
“With both the Rockets and Nets, Harden made various trips away from the team for various nightlife activities. He made Brooklyn feel it had no other option but to trade him to the Sixers before the 2022 trade deadline, or risk losing him for nothing. With Philadelphia, Harden’s side is very much of the belief joining the Clippers is not a matter of if, but when.”
What Daryl Morey Wants in James Harden Trade
During his July 18 appearance on “The Anthony Gargano Show,” Daryl Morey talked about what he would want in return for Harden.
“The reality is, if we do look at a trade, it’s going to be for one of two things,” Morey said on July 18. “It’s either going to be for a player who continues to help us be right there like we were last year, up three-two on one of the best teams in the East in the Celtics.”
Morey added that the Sixers won’t offload Harden just because he wants out while saying that the team would welcome him back if he changes his mind.
“If we don’t get a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, then we’re just not going to do it,” Morey said. “And if James were to turn his mind around, we would all be thrilled. But, at this moment, he does prefer to be traded, and we are attempting to honor that.”
Morey and co. are willing to wait this out because they’ve done it before with Ben Simmons, and they played it right. While they face a similar predicament with Harden, it may not play out the exact same way.
James Harden Situation Has Led to Fallout With Daryl Morey
On July 17, Shams Charania reported that Harden and Morey’s relationship is now fractured following all that’s happened.
“The relationship between James Harden and Daryl Morey is essentially severed, it’s essentially fractured throughout this process.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania has the latest on James Harden.
“The relationship between James Harden and Daryl Morey…is essentially severed. It’s essentially fractured throughout this process. There’s no longer that valve of open-minded, open-ended trust that we’ve seen over the course of the 692 games that Daryl Morey and James Harden have been together in Houston and in Philly,” Charania said.
Charania added that rival teams expect the Sixers to grant Harden’s request to be a Clipper.
“(Harden) wants a trade, and he wants a trade to the Clippers. And rival teams I’ve spoke to in Vegas and now, they still believe that’s the path that the Sixers to go down potentially, but it’s going to come down to those two teams engaging and really getting to a potential deal.”
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Insider Reveals James Harden’s Plans Following Sixers’ Stalemate