Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden recently spoke with Sam Amick of The Athletic and the 10-time All-Star didn’t hold back while talking about Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
Harden and Morey used to have a very close relationship. However, everything changed this past offseason when Morey didn’t offer Harden a max contract. Morey also ghosted Harden.
“Yeah, me and Daryl had a really good relationship,” Harden said. “So (in the past), a week or two after we lose in the playoffs, it would be all about trying to figure out how to improve the team. (They’d talk about) ‘How do we get better?’ And that’s been going on for 10-plus years, you know what I mean? And then this year, there was no communication. And at that point, it’s like, ‘OK, I see what’s going on.’ I’m very intelligent. So then I just figure out ‘What’s my next move, and what do I want to do?’ So I understand that, at the end of the day, this is a business. And just like he has to do what’s best for his organization, I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family. It’s as simple as that.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, Daryl Morey, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Harden opted into his player option for this season and requested a trade from the Sixers. The 2017-18 MVP called Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China.
“Yeah. It surprised the hell out of me, you know what I mean? I looked at it like a marriage,” Harden said. “We talked about a lot of s—. And we’ve got a lot of s— that, in front of people’s eyes, you don’t know or understand. But instead of (Morey) having a conversation with me (about free agency) or saying, ‘All right James, we don’t want to offer you this, but we have this.’ Then we go back and forth, and that’s a dialogue. But you just ice me out? Then it’s like, you don’t respect me as much as I thought you did. You don’t need people like that, you know what I mean? So it’s just bad karma. People were throwing dirt on my name, but the good guys always win.”
Harden doesn’t intend to speak to Morey ever again. The Arizona State product gave up a lot of money in the summer of 2022 to help the Sixers sign impactful players. Morey told Harden a maximum contract would be offered in 2023, but that offer never arrived.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, Daryl Morey, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
“There’s too much money, too much respect (lost) and too much loyalty on my end to even double back (with Morey),” Harden said. “There’s nothing to talk about. There’s nothing to talk about. This is real money.”
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