James Harden has made it very clear he no longer wants to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. He's not only publicly called out executive Daryl Morey during the offseason, but Harden has made it known behind the scenes that he has no desire to return to Philadelphia.
Originally not attending Media Day on Monday and expected to remain away from the team through training camp, Harden seemed to have a change of heart. The former league MVP arrived in Colorado for Sixers training camp on Wednesday, according to Keith Pompey from The Philadelphia Inquirer, leading to even more speculation about what the future holds for the ten-time All-Star.
Regardless of what was and wasn't promised to Harden by Morey and the 76ers last year, the star guard has very quickly drawn a negative perception around the league. Ever since he was traded from the Houston Rockets in 2021, Harden has seemed to cause problems everywhere he's been. Things did not work out alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets and once again, frustrations seem to be boiling over for the 34-year-old guard.
Harden is an exceptional talent, there is no denying that. But the constant string of going to a new team and wanting to be traded after just one season is beginning to get old really quick. Even though he is still looking to be dealt before the start of the 2023-24 season and has made his intentions clear, Harden's arrival to training camp is definitely intriguing.
Is he there in order to get paid in full or does Harden have a plan to sabotage the Sixers in the preseason in order to get what he wants. Could both of these things actually be true?
There is just so much to unwind regarding Harden's current situation with the Sixers, which is why it is hard to pinpoint what his actual motives are. The only thing that remains clear is that Harden is still unhappy, leading many to believe his arrival in Colorado could be bad news for the organization.
“James Harden wants a trade. He wants to make the 76ers uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, ultimately, they don’t think they’ll get the best out of him and that they’ll make a trade,” ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski stated recently. “The Sixers, on the other hand, they want to wait this out and hope they get the best James Harden, the best version of him sooner than later, but the Sixers' stance has been all along — there's not a deal out there that gets us back the kind of assets we need to improve this team.
“Maybe it's not a great percentage, but it's still la better percentage play to wait out James Harden and to get him invested at some point this season in this Sixers team.”
Harden showing up to training camp and doing everything he can to show his disinterest in the franchise is a very real possibility, one that could cause an even larger fracture.
The last thing any organization wants to deal with just weeks before a new season is drama. This is exactly what they have with Harden. His unwillingness to come to terms on a mutual beneficial agreement with the 76ers and Morey after failed trade attempts will likely cause the downfall of not only this team, but Harden's future in the NBA.
Where trade talks with James Harden stand
At this moment, there is no traction on a trade involving James Harden. The Sixers did in fact discuss the possibility of a deal with several teams during the offseason, but interest in the All-Star guard runs very low with the Los Angeles Clippers appearing to be the only team willing to give up something of interest for him. Then again, the Sixers asking price is so steep and Los Angeles has not been willing to meet their price.
“There's not widespread interest in James Harden. The Clippers are the most motivated team to give up at least a first round pick in this. Or potentially, let's say, a pick swap,” Wojnarowski stated while appearing on ESPN's NBA Today Tuesday afternoon. “I'm not saying they've offered that in this. The Clippers are the most win-now team. They've needed to solidify that lead guard position. At the same time, the Clippers are not in a position to gut all their assets for the future… They also know ‘We don't want to bid against ourselves.'”
While it's certainly still possible that Harden winds up being traded before the start of the regular season, the 76ers currently find themselves in an awkward spot. Harden, who led the league in assists per game last year, has developed a reputation for creating toxic environments, leading to no team really wanting to deal with him seeing as he's in the final year of his contract.
Reporting to training camp and appearing to be ready to practice with his teammates seems like a step in the right direction, but if Harden is actually wanting to sabotage this organization, the Sixers are going to have their hands full over the next few weeks.
James Harden arrives to training camp
On Wednesday morning, Harden arrived in Colorado for training camp. After taking some time for himself in the offseason and having a chance to reflect on all the trade discussions that were held, maybe Harden is willing to begin the 2023-24 season with the 76ers in hopes that something can be worked out ahead of the trade deadline.
Then again, everyone is expecting Harden to cause even more drama in hopes of the Sixers growing frustrated with his antics. There is really no telling if the All-Star being in Colorado for camp is a good or bad thing.
From the 76ers perspective, they need to handle this situation very carefully, especially if they have nothing lined up in trade talks for Harden. This organization has championship expectations and everything could go south very quickly before the season even begins based on what transpires over the next couple of days.
Should Harden look to ruin training camp and intentionally make mistakes to try and prove his point, this will have a long-lasting effect on reining league MVP Joel Embiid.
There has been a ton of speculation about what the future holds for Embiid and the 76ers. Some believe he could be the next big name to request a trade in the future and this is something Philadelphia cannot have happen if they want to maintain their position near the top of the league.
By Harden causing problems and acting out in hopes of getting a trade, he could ultimately cause a rift to form between Embiid and the organization. Again, this is just pure speculation, especially since there is no telling as to what Harden will do when he shows up to practice.
The standoff between Morey and Harden is far from over, as it appears this relationship will not be repaired. Harden made it very clear this offseason that he no longer trusts the 76ers' president and it would be very hard for him to take back his remarks of calling Morey a liar.
Time will tell what the future holds for the Sixers and Harden, but his arrival to training camp is not necessarily good news for the organization. Relationships have been broken and the star's focus is surely not on the upcoming season with Philadelphia. It will be very interesting to hear what some of his teammates have to say about the matter, especially Embiid.
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