Getty Daryl Morey, James Harden
Despite James Harden being a good soldier during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ training camp, his stance with the team and President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has remained the same. Harden went into more detail while talking with reporters for the first time since making his trade request.
James Harden: “When I got traded here, my whole thing is I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer. And the front office didn’t have that in their future plans.”
“When I got traded here, my whole thing is I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer, and the front office didn’t have that in their future plans,” Harden said, per PHLY SPORTS’ Kyle Neubeck.
When asked if his relationship with the Sixers and Morey can be repaired, Harden replied bluntly, “No,” and then explained why everyone involved had lost his trust.
“This is not even about in this situation, this is in life. When you lose trust in someone, it’s like a marriage. You lose trust in someone, you know what I mean? It’s pretty simple,” Harden said, per Neubeck.
Do you think is something that can be repaired?
Harden: “No.”
Why?
Harden: “This is not even about in this situation, this is in life. When you lose trust in someone, it’s like a marriage. You lose trust in someone, you know what I mean? It’s pretty simple.”
That begs the question of why Harden hasn’t created any drama during training camp, but it’s likely that Harden understands that doing so would kill his trade value, which would make it harder for them to trade him.
Tyrese Maxey Surprised by James Harden’s Participation
Tyrese Maxey revealed that he’s been surprised by Harden’s professionalism since training camp began and even praised his potentially ex-teammate for what he’s done during the Sixers’ practices.
“First of all, Imma give a shoutout to James,” Maxey told J.J. Redick on the October 12 episode of Redick’s “The Old Man & The Three” podcast. “He didn’t make it weird at all. He came in and he was very, like, not what I was expecting. He was very receptive. He worked hard. He did all the drills. He was talking to, even like, young guys that he didn’t know. James Harden, MVP, scoring champ, two-time assist leader, he’s sitting there talking to guys like Ricky Council, ‘Hey, when you’re help, you should do this.’ It’s not what I was picturing.”
Harden may still want to be traded, but there has been solid evidence that no matter what beef he has with the Sixers’ organization, none of his contempt is directed at his teammates. Harden was seen at Michael Rubin’s “White Party,” living it up with his fellow Sixers.
Embiid, Harden and PJ Tucker vibing hard to Meek Mill at Michael Rubin’s white party.
Even if this situation will likely not end well, it’s clear Harden has nothing against his teammates.
Clippers Still Want James Harden: Insider
On October 9, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne confirmed that the Los Angeles Clippers want Harden and know what it will take to get him, but added why they are still playing hardball with the Sixers.
“I’ve been told, the Clippers know what they need to do to get James Harden, it’s just a question of whether they want to go all the way there… They’re really bidding against the Sixers’ willingness to take any kind of compromise.”
“From what I’ve been told, the Clippers know what they need to do to get James Harden. It’s just a question of whether they want to go all the way there. As Adrian Wojnarowski was explaining, can they get more creative with some of the assets that they already have so that they’re not bidding against themselves?” Shelburne said on NBA Today. “They’re really bidding against the Sixers’ willingness to take any kind of compromise. James Harden can change things in an instant with whatever he wants to say when he finally starts talking.”
Harden has not changed his stance since opting into his deal with the Sixers. While the Clippers want him, they have clearly shown that they are not selling the farm for him. Both sides could change their stances when the regular season begins.