James Harden is comfortable making things uncomfortable.
He demonstrated it in Houston three years ago, when Harden showed up late – and out of shape – to training camp because he was partying in Atlanta and wanted a trade to Brooklyn. He pulled a similar stunt just about a year later with the Nets, who watched Harden’s on-court effort and presence disappear amid a push for a relocation to Philadelphia.
Now, with the Sixers reportedly prepared to keep Harden on their roster for next season, the 33-year-old guard escalated his latest trade demand by setting the crosshairs on team president Daryl Morey.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said Monday. “Let me say that again – Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
Harden’s comments were met with applause by the crowd in China, where the former MVP was hosting an Adidas media event. Harden didn’t specify Morey’s alleged lies, but the timeline of contract negotiations makes it easy to guess his beef.
Harden, who also played eight seasons for Morey in Houston, took a $14 million pay cut last year to re-sign with the Sixers and provide the franchise financial flexibility to build a championship contender. The idea, whether spoken or not, was that Harden would recoup the money with a long-term contract in the 2023 summer. But Philadelphia finished well short of a title last season, and Morey then declined to offer Harden a lucrative deal. Instead of hitting free agency this summer, Harden opted into the final season of his deal at $35.6 million while demanding a trade. The Clippers, a source confirmed, represent his preferred destination.
But trade talks never gained traction, according to ESPN, and Morey is ready to run it back with Harden and Joel Embiid as the pillars.
It’s an understandable position for the Sixers, who are, most significantly, navigating Embiid’s prime window and happiness levels. Becoming a worse team by trading Harden has the potential domino effect of sending Embiid into the trade market. ‘The Process,’ which is already on shaky ground, would be kaput.
But Harden has the power to make this untenable. He can sit out of training camp and games so long as he’s willing to risk salary. Ben Simmons, for instance, sacrificed nearly $20 million in checks for refusing to play for the Sixers during the 2021-22 season.
Or, Harden can be present as a distracting force – an arrangement that wouldn’t be conducive to Philadelphia’s designs of championship contention. If you interpret Harden’s comment literally, the Sixers could also reinvigorate his commitment by firing Morey.
This all falls in the lap of first-year head coach Nick Nurse, who replaced the fired Doc Rivers. Harden, as history shows, is unafraid of being a distraction.