Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is unlikely to allow James Harden‘s behavior to force his hand to make a trade, according to NBA insider Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Harden has requested a trade from the Sixers and wants to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The 10-time All-Star was fined $100,000 by the NBA for calling Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China. Harden called Morey a liar since he wasn’t traded quickly after opting into his 2023-24 player option.
“Sources on both sides of the Harden situation concede they are taking things day-by-day,” Mizell wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “Or hour-by-hour. It’s still possible that Harden turns disruptive, as he did while forcing his way out of Houston in 2021 and Brooklyn the following year. Yet a source said Morey is unlikely to allow Harden’s behavior to force his hand to make a trade, because Nurse could bench Harden and let rising guard Tyrese Maxey gain experience as a primary ballhandler.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
In 58 games for the Sixers last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists. He led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career.
According to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Harden felt Morey ghosted him before free agency started. Rather than wait for Morey and the Sixers to present whatever offer they had come up with once free agency opened on July 1, Harden decided to pick up his $35.6 million player option before the June 30 deadline and request a trade.
The Sixers were stunned at Harden’s decision, insisting to him and his representatives they had been distant only because they were hit with the largest tampering fine in NBA history and that they had every intention of re-signing him as soon as the rules allowed. However, it was too late.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Harden exercised his $35.6 million option for the 2023-24 season in June with an expectation that Morey would work with him on finding a trade to the Clippers. The Sixers and Clippers engaged in numerous conversations but never gained traction on a deal.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
