At a news conference on Monday in China, James Harden expressed his displeasure with club president Daryl Morey.
James Harden is Angry
Only a few days after the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly denied James Harden’s request to be traded, the star guard had some choice words for team president Daryl Morey.
During a press conference for Adidas on Monday in China, Harden expressed his opinions toward Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
Someone in the crowd asked Harden, “What do you think about the current team’s claims that trade negotiations have come to an end and their efforts to re-sign you?”
Harden declared, “I cannot support Daryl Morey’s dishonesty.” “I won’t even think about being associated with any squad he’s a part of because of his lack of honesty. I’ll give you another example.
Despite Harden’s “emphatic” demand to be transferred, which was purportedly made public months ago, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that the 76ers were discontinuing trade talks for him.
The 76ers had hoped that Harden would help the team make it to at least the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001, along with current Kia MVP Joel Embiid. Instead, Philadelphia has suffered defeat in each of the previous two seasons’ Eastern Conference semifinals, most recently falling to Boston 4-3 despite having a 3-2 series lead.
While playing with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and now Embiid in Philadelphia, Harden’s output has decreased after developing into a consistent MVP candidate (and an MVP) with the Houston Rockets.
Nevertheless, since leaving the Rockets, the three-time leading scorer and two-time leading assist provider has averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists each of the past three seasons, including a league-high 10.7 assists per game last year. His 38.5% 3-point shooting percentage was his highest since the 2011–12 season when he was a star for an up-and-coming Oklahoma City club that included three future MVPs in James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook.
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Wojnarowski adds that despite Harden’s persistent demand for a trade this offseason, the 76ers “Wouldn’t make a move that they thought would endanger their chances of winning the title.”
Harden opted into his $35.6 million contract for the upcoming season in the off-season. Harden, 33, had the option to reject it and choose to test the waters in free agency. He was entitled to a four-year, $210 million contract from the Sixers, which was $8 million more than any other team could have offered.
If Harden were to be traded, it would be his third trade since the Houston Rockets granted his request in February 2021.
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