‘When you lose trust in someone …’: Harden talks trade request, plan moving forward originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CAMDEN, N.J. — About an hour after the Sixers’ practice wrapped up Friday, James Harden walked over to a handful of reporters for the first time in the 2023-24 season.
Harden’s blue, long-sleeved Sixers shirt was drenched in sweat by that point following a post-practice workout.
Once he took a seat, the 10-time All-Star offered his perspective on an uncomfortable saga that included the NBA fining him $100,000 in August for public trade demands.
“Just to the fans, man, I appreciate the support and love,” Harden said. “This is definitely a difficult time. For me, it’s just trusting the people that you’ve known over a decade. When I got traded here, my whole thing was I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer, and the front office didn’t have that in their plan.
“It’s really out of my control. It’s something that I didn’t want to happen, being in this position, but I’ve got to make a decision for my family. I understand this is a business. It’s just as simple as that. I come in here today, work my butt off and do the things necessary as a professional — as I’ve been doing for 15 years.”
Asked directly if he still wants to be traded, Harden avoided any technical rearticulation of an on-the-record request.
“You’ve got to talk to the front office about that, but I’ve just been here working my butt off,” he said. “I love the game of basketball, so I’m just in the gym and putting the work in. That’s all I can control.”
A couple of times, Harden paused and chose his words carefully.
However, that wasn’t the case on the topic of whether his relationship with the Sixers’ front office can be repaired.
“No,” he said.
Why’s that?
“This is not even about this situation, this is in life: When you lose trust in someone … it’s like a marriage. If you lose trust in someone … it’s pretty simple,” Harden said.
Harden never said the name of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, but it seemed clear that “front office” essentially meant Morey, who traded for Harden in both 2012 and 2022.
“Me and the front office have had a very, very good relationship, like I said, for a decade,” Harden said. “There was constant communication. And there was no communication once we lost (in the playoffs).”
Obviously, Harden remains displeased with how Morey handled things this offseason. Instead of working out a new contract with the Sixers, he exercised his $35.6 million player option and asked to be traded.
The Sixers have had conversations with the Clippers but not yet heard a satisfactory offer. During an August trip to China, Harden called Morey a “liar.”
“I don’t think I have to interpret it,” Morey said at the Sixers’ media day. “He said what he meant, and I think that was well-reported on. Obviously I have’t responded to that because I think it falls flat on its face. Twenty years of working in the league, I’ve 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 privately, I’ve appreciated all the key people in the league reaching out to me and knowing, obviously, that that’s not true. So yeah … obviously it was disappointing that he chose to handle it in that way.”
After the Sixers’ Game 7 loss to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, Harden described his relationship with head coach Doc Rivers in one word: “OK.”
The Sixers ultimately fired Rivers and hired Nick Nurse, who’s had Harden participate in all practices since Day 2 of training camp.
“Great,” Harden said of Nurse. “Nick is very versatile. He’s a players’ coach. He understands it. I’ve known him a little bit; he was the G League coach in Houston. He’s obviously won a championship. He just sees the game different and I’m a fan of him.”
Compared to last season, Harden thinks the Sixers’ system has “more spacing, more opportunities for everyone, and just unpredictable.” He praised Nurse’s knack for on-the-fly adjustments.
Will Harden play for Nurse in the preseason? With two exhibition games left — on the road Monday against the Nets and next Friday vs. the Hawks in Philadelphia — Harden indicated he’s aiming to play in the preseason finale.
“I’m still ramping up,” he said. “I’m still ramping up, trying to get myself in the best shape. I feel really, really good, but there’s another level I feel like I can get to and that I am going to get to. I think there’s one more preseason game after (Monday).
“So I’ll ramp it up and try to play the last one just to get myself in game situations and get used to the physicality of defenders bumping you and whatnot — the speed, the tempo, all that good stuff. I think we’ve got a good plan in place.”
The Sixers open their regular season on Oct. 26 against the Bucks.
“Like I said, I control what I can control, take it one day at a time. … But my plan is to play basketball, yes — for sure,” Harden said.
