Veteran guard James Harden didn’t show up for the Sixers‘ media day on Monday in Camden, N.J. and wasn’t in attendance for the club’s first practice at Colorado State University on Tuesday.
However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Harden is expected to arrive in Colorado and join the 76ers for training camp soon — perhaps even later today.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a player is in violation of his contract and can be prevented from becoming a free agent if he withholds his services for more than 30 days during the final year of his deal.
It doesn’t appear Harden intends to test that CBA clause. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, when he met with league officials during the NBA’s investigation into his public comments calling Morey a “liar” in August, Harden indicated that he planned to fulfill his contractual obligations to the Sixers if the team didn’t end up trading him.
Still, the fact that Harden intends to report to the team doesn’t mean that he’ll withdraw his trade request or that the standoff between him and the Sixers has been – or will be – resolved. While Wojnarowski’s latest report doesn’t include any additional details on Harden’s mindset, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters on Monday that the former MVP continues to seek a change of scenery, as Bontemps details.
Prior to Wojnarowski’s report on Tuesday, one person who knows Harden well told Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns and is destructive.”
Here’s more on Harden:
- Although the Clippers are still Harden’s preferred destination, there has been no traction on a deal between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, according to Wojnarowski, who hears from sources that the Sixers’ asking price remains high and L.A. isn’t eager to bid against itself.
- Harden has already received 50% of his $35.64MM salary for the 2023/24 season, sources tell Bontemps. The star guard received a 25% payment on July 1 and another 25% by October 1. If he were to hold out, the Sixers could withhold future payments or seek to recoup some of the money Harden has already been paid.
- Speaking to reporters on Monday, Morey responded to Harden’s assertion that he’s a “liar,” explaining why he hasn’t addressed those comments until this week. “I haven’t responded to that because I think it falls flat on its face,” he said, per Bontemps. “In 20 years of working in the league, always followed through on everything. Every top agent knows that. Everyone in the league knows. You can’t operate in this job without that. So, you know, privately I’ve appreciated all the key people in the league reaching out to me and knowing obviously that’s not true. But like I said before, obviously it was disappointing that he chose to handle it that way.”
- Weitzman’s full story on the relationship between Harden and Morey and how they got to this point is packed with interesting tidbits and is worth checking out in full.
Oh boy. Wonder if he’ll break out the fat suit again, or he has something else up his sleeve.
Soap opera in Philly, coming right up…
Why would any contender want Harden? He disappears in the playoffs, plays no defense and on top of that the last few years has been destructive to any team he is on.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Clippers want first round picks and cash to take him.
He disappears in closeout games. Let’s not pretend he didn’t carry the Sixers through the ECSF until Game 4, or that he wasn’t Embiid’s reliable #2 in their game 5 win with a triple-double. He still has plenty of value on the court.
The off-court stuff is why no one is trading for him.
To get paid max money, especially at his age, you cannot have a good game here and there, and fade in others.
Top guys get paid too money because they are consistently good and reliable.
And he is in every facet of the game except closeout games and some defense. He’s not on a max contract, and the suspicions about him having an under-the-table deal were pushed aside (and I personally doubt Morey would offer him that, much as I dislike him he’s not stupid).
His trade value is debatable, but your “take back firsts and cash” thing is nonsense.
As does LeBron if he doesn’t have a teammate bail him out. Or he will have a excuse lined up. This year it is Wood
Lmao, no. Not even going to bother. That’s a ludicrous take worthy of Skip Bayless.
Harden wasn’t destructive on the Nets, he got there and played hard. He even came back early from an injury because they needed him in the playoffs after Irving got hurt. He just saw all the B.S. and wanted out of that situation.
In Philly he sacrificed his money so they could sign Tucker and House then sacrificed his numbers in a contract season to feed Embiid an MVP. I personally don’t think he’s worth a long max contract(perhaps a short one like 2-3 years)but that’s neither here nor there as Harden thinks he’s worth it.
He also plays halfway decent defense when he’s assigned to weaker offensive players. No you don’t him on the opposing teams best threat but he holds his own on slower 3s and 4s.
Harden did dog it on the Nets after he left. Not nearly to the extent that he did in Houston, but there was a clear drop-off.
And regardless of what he’s been in the past, what he looks like now is a me-me-me player who cares about money, getting his way, and little else. If he comes back to the Sixers and rebuilds his value, that might change. But the Sixers won’t trade him at current value, so anything else is out for the time being.
*before he left, jeez. What is wrong with my brain today?
Harden can hate on Morey all he wants, but he shouldn’t take it out on his teammates. He should practice and say exactly that – I’m here for my teammates, I will play for my teammates, but I’m still not happy with Morey.
Make it rain, James, make it rain.
Nagging injury is coming until he gets traded and then it’s going to magically heal when he gets traded probably.
LeBron thinking
LeBron has never been traded in his entire career, Luke. He has never forced or demanded a trade. And he’s totally willing to play through injury. Or did the world hallucinate the near 40pt triple double in WCF Game 4 and the Nuggets basically having to play 5-1 to win that game?
Yea bc it’s a money thing. At the end of the day this is just a Job. It stopped being for the love of the game a long time ago. He just wants to get his. Which is why I find it kind ridiculous that he’s being doing this nonsense. He’s cost himself at least 60-80M with this nonsense.
PHI deserves what it might be about to get. There is no way they were mere bystanders in the stunt that Harden pulled in BKN. They got what they wanted. So, no whining now.
I’m a clippers fan but I can tell the truth ( easier Bc I don’t really want harden on my team team straight up) ! There is no trade whatsoever that makes a lick of sense for clippers
People act like Harden is crazy.
Who stays healthier, Embiid or Kawhi/PG?
I’d want out too…
Embiid will play more games than kawhi and pg will play together so he would be the healthier option, when the clippers are nothing without both playing. He wants to go west coast more than win I think.
19.5lbs overweight when he shows up to camp. Anyone willing to take the under?
Prob all that money in his pockets, hater…
Would have to be money cause it’s definitely not the rings on his fingers
Harden’s agent secretly telling John Horst and Sean Marks that Harden would also play for them.