With the Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden at odds with one another until further notice, it appears that P.J. Tucker has picked a side on the matter. On August 14, Tucker posted a message on his personal Instagram, writing, “I’m not acrobatic, I’m not flippin’ on my bros,” which was aggregated by Sixers’ Wire’s Ky Carlin on his X account.
PJ Tucker with a message #Sixers
Tucker’s message would indicate that he is siding with Harden on the matter. That may not necessarily be an indictment on the Sixers, knowing that Tucker played with Harden on the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2020.
Also, Harden taking a paycut during the 2022 NBA Offseason paved the way for Tucker to get a three-year, $33 Million contract from the Sixers. Tucker may not have received a contract like that on the open market that summer had it not been for Harden’s decision to take less money.
Something to consider is whether this could have potential ramifications on Tucker’s future with the Sixers when and if Harden gets traded.
James Harden Drama is ‘Just the Beginning,’ Says Insider
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne revealed on ESPN’s NBA Today that Harden’s actions – calling Daryl Morey a liar and vowing never to play for him again – are merely the beginning of the turmoil Harden plans to bring to the Sixers until they trade him away.
“Somebody said to me yesterday, ‘This is only the beginning. This is just the beginning of what James Harden is going to do to make life very uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers going into training camp,’” Shelburne said on August 15.
Ramona Shelburne: “Somebody said to me yesterday, ‘This is only the beginning. This is just the beginning of what James Harden is going to do to make life very uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers going into training camp.'”
Philly; Sixers
Shelburne added how this situation with Harden compared to the Ben Simmons situation during the 2021-22 season.
“I think the expectation with Harden is, they went through this with Ben Simmons. He didn’t show up to camp. He left money on the table. That’s not going to happen here with James Harden. This is going to be very uncomfortable, but Ben Simmons didn’t say anything… This was, with a microphone, ‘Let me repeat myself.’ The phrase I kept hearing was, ‘This was just the beginning.’ So I think the Sixers have to ask themselves, ‘What are we prepared for? How do we handle this?’ Is there any way that they can get through this and still have a productive season?”
Danny Green Understands Both James Harden & Daryl Morey
Former Sixers sharpshooter Danny Green gave his thoughts after Harden’s video taking a shot at Morey went viral, explaining why he understood both sides of the matter.
First Green explained why he believes Harden has done what he’s done.
“As a player, I’m always gonna side with the player. Not just because I’m a player, but I also don’t think he’s wrong. If he was promised something, I think you need to come through with that promise,” Green said.
Green then added that he understands why Morey has handled the situation that he has.
“But I see the other side of it with Daryl Morey. I understand it’s a business. GMs, they make a lot of decisions quickly in the heat of the moment, and your mind is going to change, the emotion is gonna change at different times, and maybe his hands are tied to this. Maybe he’s not able to offer James the extension that he wants. So I understand Daryl. I understand James.”
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PJ Tucker Sends Strong Message to Sixers Amid James Harden Drama