Days After $100,000 Fine, James Harden’s Former Teammate Has His Say on Daryl Morey Debacle: “Has the Best Interest at Heart”

The James Harden trade saga has kept the NBA world buzzing for many weeks. The Beard controversy escalated when he publicly called Sixers President Daryl Morey a liar on a promotional tour in China. He later revealed that Morey promised to expedite Harden’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. But Philly shut down all trade talks with the Clippers and decided to bring Harden back for training camp.

But as James Harden’s problems continue to rise amid this storm, his former Sixers teammate and 3-time Champion Danny Green tried to find a middle ground between Morey and Harden.

Danny Green cannot pick sides in the James Harden trade saga

3x NBA champion Danny Green addressed the James Harden situation on an episode of No Chill with Gilbert Arenas. When asked about whose side he was on, Green said, “Always gonna side with the player, because I am a player.” He initially started by saying that James Harden was right. And if he was promised something, Morey should’ve come through with the promise.

Green played for the Philadelphia 76ers for 2 seasons and had the chance to play alongside James Harden for a couple of months. So, he has good relationships with both Harden and Morey. “I do think that Daryl Morey is the guy that has the best interest at heart for James than anybody else in the league,” said Green. He believes that James Harden’s trade to LA fell through because Morey values Harden very highly and was not getting enough in return for the former MVP.

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The Clippers had the upper hand on Daryl Morey because Harden openly expressed his desire to play with Kawhi and PG. This led to the exchange offer not being desirable for the Sixers organization.

Green Signal: Harden should give Philly another chance

With all the drama surrounding Harden and Morey, it is still unknown if Harden will return to Philadelphia next season. The NBA star has made it clear that he does not want to be part of an organization that Daryl Morey is a part of. His comments in China also cost him $100,000 as the NBA fined him for breaking the ‘Public Trade Demands’ rule. Danny Green, on the other hand, thinks that Harden should return to Philly and play alongside Joel Embiid, as he will be hurting the team and himself if he decides to sit out.

Playing in Philly and abiding by his contract will increase Harden’s value in the free agency next summer. Even though the Sixers were unable to make it to the finals last season, Harden had an All-Star-caliber season, averaging 21 points and 10.7 assists. If he is not traded to any other team, the 10-time All-Star can prove to be a key piece in a contending team despite the differences with Daryl Morey.

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Gilbert Arenas ended the discussion by saying, “Best friends fighting,” to which the panel chuckled. Even though it seems unlikely, there is a small chance that Morey and Harden can find a middle ground and work it out for one more season.