Getty James Harden
With James Harden publically vowing never to play for the Philadelphia 76ers again as long as Daryl Morey is around, the door technically remains that the Sixers could send him anywhere. One team could be the Sacramento Kings. Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam proposed the following trade between the Sixers and Kings.
Kings receive: Harden
Sixers receive: Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles
Sam explained why the Kings could look into acquiring Harden and how those four could be included in the trade.
“If the Sixers hope to trade Harden out of the conference, another California team could be a viable trade partner. The Sacramento Kings are hoping to build off the momentum of last season’s third-place finish in the West and could be open to a splash move this offseason. The Kings have multiple assets, such as Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell, and Trey Lyles, to potentially include in a trade for the 2018 MVP.”
While none of those four players are stars, they were useful rotation players who helped the Kings make their first playoff appearance since 2006. The Sixers would lose an all-star-caliber player, but they would get some depth pieces on the roster.
Kyrie Irving Calls Out Daryl Morey & Defends James Harden
After ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden was “disgruntled” while aggregating his video of him calling Morey a liar on August 14, Dallas Mavericks star and former Harden teammate Kyrie Irving responded to Wojnarowski’s report by calling out Morey and defending Harden via his personal Twitter.
“Is he Disgruntled Adrian?? Or is he holding Darryl Morey accountable for his dishonesty and lack of transparency throughout the contract negotiation process this summer?”
The Dallas Mavericks star clearly believes that Morey is the one at fault here in this situation. Though it goes without saying that if Harden wanted off the Sixers, the simpler way to go about it would have been to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Opting in gave the Sixers all the leverage in the situation because they get to decide what happens next for the 2023-24 season with Harden.
Ex-Sixer Danny Green Understands Both Sides
Following Harden’s viral video of him calling Morey a liar, former Sixer Danny Green gave his thoughts on the matter on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Green explained why he understood why Harden said what he said about Morey and why he’s frustrated with him.
“I was very shocked by it, but I do see both sides. 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 then explained why he believes Morey has handled the situation the way 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.”