AP Photograph/Matt Slocum, File
In case you are already uninterested in the James Harden saga, properly… buckle up.
A day after Harden called Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar” and stated he would “by no means be part of a company that he is part of” throughout an Adidas occasion in China, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on NBA At this time that it was solely the opening salvo from the disgruntled level guard:
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“That is only the start of what James Harden goes to do to make life very uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers going into coaching camp.”@ramonashelburne on the strain between Harden and the Sixers. pic.twitter.com/OCLF5ieSvf
“Any individual stated to me yesterday, ‘That is solely the start.’ That is only the start of what Harden goes to do to make life very uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers going into coaching camp. And I believe the expectation with Harden is—Ben Simmons, they went via this with Ben Simmons. He did not present as much as camp, he left cash on the desk. That is not going to occur right here with James Harden. That is going to be very uncomfortable. Ben Simmons did not say something. Ben Simmons stayed house. It was not loud. This was with a microphone, let me repeat myself. And the phrase I saved listening to was, ‘That is only the start.’”
Harden’s feedback got here after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers had been planning to deliver Harden to coaching camp after commerce talks with the Los Angeles Clippers did not lead to a deal that them.
It was unclear what exactly brought about Harden to name Morey a liar, with a couple of theories rising. One was that Harden believed the Sixers would reward him for taking a reduction on his contract final summer time—in an effort to clear cap area to signal veterans like P.J. Tucker—by giving him a long-term, max extension this offseason, which did not occur.
One other idea is that the Sixers instructed Harden they might work with him to discover a commerce if he opted in to his participant possibility—or agreed to work with him on a commerce after he opted in—and such a deal by no means got here to fruition.
Mike O’Connor @MOConnor_NBA
If Morey promised Harden he’d commerce him as a precursor to him opting in, that is actually dangerous enterprise and it will (and may) stick w his fame ceaselessly
If Harden opted in with none promise he’d be traded, I might put no ethical blame on Morey
Reality might be within the center
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
James Harden calling Daryl Morey a liar references considered one of two issues:
▪️Morey agreed to provide Harden an enormous deal this summer time after taking a lower price final offseason after which reneged (which might imply massive hassle for Morey and the Sixers)
▪️Morey agreed to commerce Harden after he… pic.twitter.com/jgih3nEryN
John Clark @JClarkNBCS
I am instructed the Sixers by no means had an settlement, made a suggestion, or exchanged proposals with James Harden and his reps heading into this 12 months’s free company
Extra on Sixers & James Harden 🔽 https://t.co/hb6uthy3Os pic.twitter.com/awBJwQmEpI
Yaron Weitzman @YaronWeitzman
I stay baffled by Harden’s technique these previous few years.
1. Turns down max extension from Nets
2. Takes paycut for re-sign with Sixers. Says it is about successful, then spends season hinting at his unhappiness in Philly.
4. Asks for max deal from Sixers. When would not get it,… https://t.co/qr7NxYxaCP
From the Sixers’ perspective, Harden is 33, missed 24 video games final season to damage, has clearly misplaced a step and ran out of gasoline by the tip of the Boston Celtics collection, resulting in one more second-round exit within the playoffs. Signing him to a long-term, max extension may have ended disastrously as he continued to age.
If Harden was value a max extension in the marketplace, he would have signed one. However such a suggestion did not come to fruition, and he selected to choose into his participant possibility. That, in flip, restricted his leverage to his present makes an attempt to drive a commerce out of Philadelphia, seemingly by any means crucial.
Bryan Toporek @btoporek
Harden spent months telegraphing his curiosity in HOU to leverage his approach into an enormous contract with both the Rockets or the Sixers.
When HOU pivoted to FVV, Harden was out of life like FA choices except for returning to PHI.
How is any of this the Sixers’ fault?
Now, if the Sixers both promised Harden a max extension after which reneged, or instructed him they might commerce him to the Clippers if he opted in, it is a dangerous look and the kind of factor that may negatively stick with each Morey’s and the group’s fame with different gamers across the league.
But when no wink-wink promise was made a couple of max extension behind closed doorways—and if the Sixers instructed Harden they might work with him to discover a commerce however did not assure to ship him to a particular location and as an alternative would search a deal that helped hold open their championship window throughout Joel Embiid’s prime—then it is Harden who loses additional credibility, particularly given how he already compelled his approach out of each Houston and Brooklyn.
It is all a cleaning soap opera, and one which new head coach Nick Nurse, Embiid and the remainder of the Sixers cannot be thrilled to seek out themselves in the midst of earlier than the season even begins.
And from the sound of it, there are many episodes to come back on this drama.
