James Harden, the star guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, after skipping the media day and the first day of the team’s training camp in Colorado, has reportedly arrived to join his teammates for Wednesday’s practice. 76ers coach Nick Nurse after Tuesday’s practice stated, “If he’s here tomorrow, like we’ve said on everything, we will get ready to make some adjustments on everything. We’ll see what happens.”
However, it seems he isn’t arriving with the best intentions. ESPN’s notable basketball analyst, Adrian Wojnarowski, has pointed out Harden’s plan to make the Sixers’ environment “uncomfortable,” which is a strategy to push the franchise into trading him.
Harden’s frustration with the 76ers has been gradually increasing, mainly due to the team’s hesitation to give a long-term contract. Last year, Harden gladly gave up a huge $14 million to help the team sign guys like PJ Tucker and Danuel House, and he expected the team to repay him with a lucrative contract.
James Harden has arrived in Colorado for Sixers’ training camp 🍿, per @PompeyOnSixers pic.twitter.com/KGnLSLDxYA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2023
But, with Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations, seemingly ready to let Harden explore free agency. Harden decided to choose his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and demanded a trade.
The conflict between Harden and the Sixers’ management took a public turn when he openly labeled Morey a “liar” during an event in China. Following the event NBA fined the 10-time All-Star $100,000 for his remarks. With speculations about his next team, it’s rumored that the Los Angeles Clippers might be a potential place for the former MVP.
James Harden saga continues Philadelphia’s star-player drama
Philadelphia has a history of dissatisfied star players and it appears that it’s happening again. Two seasons ago, it was Ben Simmons who became the center of a similar controversy. Back in 2021, Simmons, expressing his dissatisfaction, called for a trade and chose not to play, stating his mental health as the reason. This led to a significant trade deal in February 2022, bringing James Harden to Philadelphia, in exchange for Simmons.
However, the happiness of acquiring a player of Harden’s caliber was short-lived for the 76ers. Instead of giving support to their MVP player Joel Embiid, the franchise finds itself in a difficult situation. The Harden issue is similar to the Simmons saga and both players have made trade demands aggressively.
Ben Simmons is willing to sit out the entire 2021-2022 season if the 76ers don’t trade him, via @ramonashelburne. pic.twitter.com/fZSr4PG6kS
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 18, 2022
The repeated cases of star players fighting with the Sixers’ management raise questions about the front office’s handling of their star players. As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches, the 76ers fans anticipate that the team will find a solution in the coming days.
