Asked during an interview with Mackenzie Salmon of USA Today Sports (YouTube link) to weigh in on the Damian Lillard situation in Portland and the subject of NBA player empowerment in general, Sixers star James Harden says he understands the perspective of both the team and the player when a trade request is made.
“I see both sides because I went through it,” Harden said. “The organization wants to do what’s best for them. They don’t want to just give a player that basically is one of the best players they’ve ever had in the organization away for nothing, or for less than what (he’s worth). So I get the organization’s side.
“And then I get the player’s side, as far as wanting to play and wanting to be somewhere, whether it’s because it’s the right situation for you — for your family or yourself or whatever that person is going through. So I see both sides. If they can meet in the middle and kind of come to an agreement and figure it out, then that’s the best scenario.
“I wouldn’t want an organization to send someone somewhere where they wouldn’t (want to) be. Because you built a real relationship with that person. That person has done so many great things for your organization, your franchise. But then you don’t want to give that player for nothing, so I get both sides. It’s just find a balance, meet in the middle, and hopefully both sides can come to an agreement.”
Harden’s comments were ostensibly about the situation in Portland, where Lillard has requested a trade and has reportedly expressed that he only wants to play for the Heat.
However, Harden is also the NBA player whose current circumstances most closely resemble Lillard’s. Like Dame, Harden requested a trade right around the start of free agency this summer. And like Dame, he reportedly has a preferred landing spot that he’s solely focused on — in Harden’s case, it’s the Clippers. It’s easy to apply his statement to his own situation in addition to Lillard’s.
With all that in mind, Harden’s comments have to be at least a little encouraging for Sixers fans. As Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com writes, it’s “about as fair of a stance as Harden could have taken publicly.” The 33-year-old’s suggestion that a player and team should be willing to “meet in the middle” indicates he’s open to compromising.
Still, Neubeck isn’t sure what a middle ground might look like for Harden and the Sixers if the Clippers aren’t willing to increase their trade offer, and he’s unconvinced that the former MVP’s public comments mean he’ll be any more enthusiastic about a potential return to Philadelphia. While Harden may have expressed a reasonable stance when discussing another player’s trade request, that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to push as hard as he can to achieve his preferred outcome when it comes to his own request.
Harden probably has more leverage than Lillard because he’s a free agent next summer, Lillard is signed through the next Ice Age.
In fairness that could be next year too
As a Clippers fan it’s tough. I want him in LA but at the same time Bones, TMann, and and now MartinJr are really young and athletic and I’d be loathe to see any of them leave in a trade
don’t worry, they seem disinclined to deal their old, unathletic players either
Philly holds the leverage with Harden. 1) Harden doesn’t have a market for his services. 2) He is under contract. 3) He will be fined and not paid if he doesn’t show up.
Philly won’t miss Harden at all if DeAnthony Melton and Tyrese Maxey perform. Melton brings a massive upgrade defensively, and stuffs the stat sheet across the board.
The Sixers situation is interesting, and I mean interesting in the way that true crime docs are interesting, lol. They’re currently facing down the barrel of losing Harden for next to nothing (an aging RoCo, Markieff Morris, and Norman Powell for an all-star caliber lead guard is low value, even though Powell is good), and unlike Lillard who is expected to suit up for whatever team he ends up on (according to the industry consensus, at least), Harden is already known for pulling shenanigans if he’s somewhere he doesn’t want to be.
For all that Harden talks a good game here, the old truism of “actions speak louder than words” is pertinent. I don’t think they can trade him elsewhere unless the Heat lose out on Lillard and are looking for a replacement; I think he’d accept a trade to the Eastern champs. And that’s not much of a boost from a return standpoint, if at all, plus it helps a rival playoff team.
When you make one team trade requests you don’t allow a deal to organically grow into a 3 team deal which ultimately is what dame needs, I don’t blame Portland for not taking Miamis offer considering everyone knows their best possible offer isn’t good enough for Dame, that being said I get wanting to leave an employer for a new one, I just think 1 team trade requests being public is really short sighted
Philly should trade harden to Portland, let him eat himself out of shape again, and then let him never get anything close to a max contract next offseason.
Wish he’d see a side where he wins a ring.
Are there people that don’t see both sides? Doesn’t mean you have to agree with them.
Billions, probably. There are a lot of idiots in the world.
Hear hear
I don’t feel bad for guys who have to play out a 1 year contract in a place they don’t want to be for 36 million dollars. Poor guy. Must be a hard life.
Who cares what Harden thinks …..
That stuff about getting to be traded whenever you want, and also to a team that you want ..
That’s all in the contracts they sign, right?
The answer to this situation is simple. It’s called free agency.
If I trade you to another team that you don’t want to play for, then you can sit and forgo your salary.
Stop giving the players what and where they want to play. Players who sign max contracts should not sign with current team in unhappy. Become a free agent and leave like LBJ did left for Miami. LBJ never demanded a trade. When he was done with Cleveland he left for Miami and then left again for LA.
How about Hornets trade Hayward and Rozier to the Heat, Miller and M Williams to Portland. Heat trade Lowry (waive), Jovic, Jamie J to Portland, Hero and 1st Rd picks to the Hornets. 2nd Rd picks to Portland. Portland trades Lillard to Heat, Grant and Nurkic to Hornets
I couldn’t follow all that, but that seems about right in the type of trade that will work to sort this mess out.
Do you and I get traded in this deal too? That may be the clincher.
2nd rd picks to Hornets from Portland*
Grant will not be movable until at least December probably longer after signing a new deal.
How can you “meet in the middle” when one side says “trade me to Miami and Miami only”?