Speaking to reporters on Friday for the first time since reporting to training camp, Sixers guard James Harden offered an emphatic “no” when asked if he believes his relationship with the front office and the franchise can still be repaired (Twitter video link via PHLY Sports).
“This is not even about this situation, this is in life,” Harden said when asked to explain why he didn’t see a path to reconciliation. “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.”
While Harden hasn’t been shy about specifically calling out Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey since requesting a trade in June, he didn’t do so during today’s brief media session. He did, however, allude to having his trust betrayed by people that he’d “known for over a decade,” which appeared to be a reference to Morey (Twitter video link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
“When I got traded here, my whole thing was, I wanted to retire a Sixer,” Harden said. “I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer. And the front office didn’t have that in their future plans.”
As has been reported throughout the offseason, Harden reportedly expected to receive a lucrative multiyear offer from the 76ers in free agency this summer, but when he got no assurances that such an offer was coming, he opted to go in a different direction, picking up his player option and asking for a trade.
Based on Harden’s comments today, it’s clear he won’t be rescinding his trade request anytime soon. However, the former MVP also doesn’t seem inclined to hold out again after skipping media day and showing up a day late to training camp.
Harden has yet to play a preseason game, but said today that he’s still ramping up and plans to play in the Sixers’ preseason finale and beyond, according to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link).
We passed along a couple updates on the Sixers’ Harden trade talks with the Clippers earlier this week.
Is there any bigger divas in society than a certain few NBA players? So dramatic.
I’m pretty sure you and everybody(on this planet) would act the same way if somebody promised you 100m and then they all of a sudden , they said no.
He didn’t say such a thing was ever promised though.
And it’s all the Sixers fault that there IS a problem, and that it can’t be repaired. Cuz I’m sure he’s made several efforts to smooth things over.
Yes, yes and there is not like a decade long track record of how horrible the Sixers have been run and that Morey is overrated?
Sixers are a mess, have been since the Process garbage. Embiid is GONE!!
Just a matter of time. Then this whole waste of time that has been the Philadephia 76ers and the Process can finally die…
How about Hardens recent track record before he got to Philly? Forget about it?
[citation needed]
Give me a break, if someone “promised me 100m” I definitely wouldn’t count on that person giving it to me.
Name a business in which someone “promising you 100m” would be taken seriously. If there is no written contract it means nothing
The NFL, MLB, NHL. Professional Sports.
Entertainment, Movies, Television, etc.
Fashion
Highly unlikely Morey promised him a specific amount of money. Even he is not that dumb.
Some people would be happy with the hundreds of millions that they’d have already made and would’ve chosen their own team by opting out of the contract and chased a ring like most hof players that jump teams and still don’t have one yet do. Ray Allen got more than just his Boston ring by taking a lesser role and big pay cut. Harden should’ve done the same instead of being a toddler and demanding his way all the time.
You living in rainbow land. Can’t just pull stuff out of ur u know what and present it as facts.
I posted some facts about Ray Allen and suggested harden follow his footsteps and ring chase instead of be so greedy. I’m not in California so no I’m not living in rainbow land. Sorry you don’t agree with the facts I posted.
Give me a break Lucky, why would you give a 100 million to someone who really does not produce
NFL wide receivers
Some fans seems to lose sight of the human element to sports. Just because they’re getting paid millions to entertain us doesn’t mean that they don’t have emotions.
Harden has lots of emotions for sure.
Most peoples emotions come from not having money.
True….but he has close to 37 million reasons to keep them to himself and act like a well payed professional….or is that too much to ask
Yea sort of. The reason why the NBA has superceded MLB in revenue and popularity is because NBA players have personalities available to the public where MLB is a bunch of stiffs.
He also wanted to retire a Rocket.
And a Net
He is a has been. Out of shape every year, no defense, all drama has been.
He may be a has been, but he’s still a has been that’s better than half the league.
There’s around 450-475 players in the NBA, he better than far more than half of them.
Has been? That’s a pretty casual take. The only statistical categories he’s dropped off from his perennial MVP contender days are shot volume, free throw volume and because of that his PPG.
He’s not as explosive as he used to be so he can’t to go the bucket and draw as many fouls as he used too but he’s compensated that with a very efficient midrange game. He doesn’t shoot as often because ..well um he feeds the ball to a 7’0″ 280 pound ball dominant center. In fact he fed that man an MVP . He shoots a better 3 ball now and his FG% is up from the last few seasons. He doesn’t turn the ball over as much and he led the league in helpers.
Saying he doesn’t play defense is a tired old narrative. They show a few highlight plays where someone blows past him but he’s always played adequate defense. He shouldn’t be the primary defender on the opposing teams biggest offensive threat but he can hold his own if they hide him on slower players in a team setting.
Harden is still clearly solid. He just has really inconsistent playoffs and the bad games are usually the last. I think the problem is now with stars is sometimes they think the grass is greener and it isn’t. Some situations continuity works over time. Harden will have to chill soon because once age takes away a little more nba teams don’t like chiseled vets who are wild cards.
Didnt Harden lead the league in assists last year?
He is so full of s***
Harden only wanted to be a “Sixer for Life” if they paid him a certain amount of money.
Now, he gets to NOT be a Sixer for Life, and will make less money because of it.
And the Sixers will still lose in the 2nd round and Embiid is gone next summer. BTW Sixers are paying Harden to do this…
Yeah big win for the Sixers, they looked so good winning with Ben Simmons and now Harden makes it perfectly clear, do not play for Philly.
Another ludicrous and uneducated comment.
CF, Embiid is gone next summer? I think he signed a contract extension recently and his player option isn’t until the summer of 2026, for the 26-27 season? I think he’s stuck for a while.
If he was available next summer we’d be reading a lot more about it now.
Although I don’t necessarily believe Embiid is for sure gone after this year I still ask you this. How many times in recent memory has a player not been traded after requesting it?
Yup motown, we just saw it with Damian Lillard. Signed the extension then asked for a trade. Let the Joel Embiid sweepstakes begin !!
Chris Paul did not trust Harden and Morey
I really would like to have an source close to the situation disclose what, if any, type of contract James was offered before opting in from the Sixers. I suspect two things… one Darryl said, look you’ll have to wait until we figure out the FA landscape next year and play on your current contract and well reevaluate then OR he was offered 2 or 3 years at a figure that allowed the Sixers to pursue a Max-Level player this coming offseason.
James took less, and was expecting to be taken care of, but Morey isn’t a clown as many suggest – he knew the Rockets didnt offer him anything and Harden had zero leverage to push Morey into a bad decision. He already nixed the coach for him. I think if James just kept his mouth shut and played, hed end up w a 2 or 3 yr deal that was fair value, and more than anyone else would pay him.
But… this is James Harden.
How it likely went down is that Harden either thought he was promised, or WAS promised a long term deal after he took the pay-cut last year. Harden had 2 great playoff games vs. Boston, but the rest of that series he was garbage and not many people realize how awful he was in the 1st round series vs. Brooklyn. Had zero lift in his legs and couldn’t hit a layup or floater to save his life. I think those playoff games made Morey realize he needs to renege on this deal (if one was even ever made, of course)
It seems like this all stems from the likely, yet still hypothetical “wink-wink” deal from last year. Nobody knows for sure if that’s what happened. Either way, it’s apparent that Harden was expecting Morey to hand him a Max type deal, but Morey likely offered a 2 year w/ that 2nd year as an option….like Harden currently had. It seems as if neither side can discuss if anything was “promised” or not because they would potentially be open to punishment from the NBA for violating terms of the CBA, which the Sixers have already been investigated for pertaining to this.
Harden is going to age like fine wine at the bottom of a shipwreck.
I love that this is James Harden’s fault. NOT the Sixers who traded for Harden after he did similar things with the Nets, etc, etc. etc.
Morey would not cut bait on Simmons or take less than what he wanted, WHICH WAS HARDEN…
Sixers deserve all of this. They are poorly run and usually needs the NBA to babysit them.
Caveat Emptor…
So what, Harden shares no responsibility for being a malcontent? He just can because he’s him? LOL okay boss.
Harden can retire as a Sixer right now.
I’m sure he would have retired a Sixer if he wanted to accept a team friendly shorter multi year deal. 4 years 200+ mil is and should be a no no at this point in his career. And losing trust in somebody huh….how did that Celtics series end again. Got butthurt over a max deal he didn’t earn. Wild. And no he shouldn’t get a max deal just because it says Harden on the back of his jersey.
I wanted to retire a Sixers…as long as they gave me everything I wanted, regardless as to how detrimental to the team.
What a piece of human waste this guy is.
I you guys can’t see that Harden is a HasBeen. Then you should try another sport. He’s got no legs left. Plays no D. And still try’s to sell himself as a star. All athletes go down one day. Players like Harden. Who don’t take care of their bodies. Don’t last at a high level. And go down quicker …..
This should tell you the Moreyon Sixers GM is. The guy’s a counter not a talent evaluator. He’s as bad as Harden. Trying to sell him as a major star……….
Do you know what Wizards got for Beal ,,,,,,
Do You ……
Then who in their right mind would give more for Harden. Always amazes me how Dumb billionaires are ……. Harden is only taking the Sixers down with him. Wake up, move on.
link to usatoday.com
Morey pitched last year’s contract to Harden as a way to sign some other former Rocket veterans, thinking that if the Sixers at least made the finals, he could convince the owners to give Harden a max deal this year.
The Sixers didn’t make it far in the playoffs and Harden didn’t play well. On top of that, the owner is in private equity and knows a max deal for a 34-year-old guard is a bad deal. So he thinks Morey welched on him.
That said, this situation will be resolved within the next year when at least Harden is a free agent. Morey isn’t going to get the trade he wants and Harden isn’t going to get the contract or trade he wants. They part ways next summer.
The Sixers will be fine because Nick Nurse is a good coach and they will have a ton of cap space next summer. Whether Morey should be picking the free agents at that time is a fair question. As a GM, you need to be a good judge of talent AND character.
Lies and BS. If you listen to him talk to reporters he can’t give any specifics on why he feels betrayed and why the relationship can’t be repaired.
Harden has always gotten his way with Morey. Morey feels he owes him for making his career. Fact is in business. Nobody owes nobody nothing.
Come on Morey take him to a nice club, buy him an all you can at wings his choice of flavors. James will forgive you after that.
This is just getting sad now…
It was funny… But it’s just past the point of a joke now with hiw out of touch these sports stars are… Not just the NBA either…
I wonder how long before Hardens agent tells them there’s no trade market for him so the Clippers aren’t raising their offer… As well as Morey can’t lose face on a deal… So he’s gonna retire a 76er anyway…
The hypocrisy is STAGGERING. NOW he wants to be loyal?! Come away James..
“I want to retire with as much money as possible”, is a lot closer to the truth.
As for receiving a Max extension at his age and with his game declining, is just pure delusion.