“Trade Him Before We Get Off the Air”: ESPN Analyst Calls for Immediate Action on James Harden After Massive 76ers Snub

It has indeed become a tiresome affair. To report the facts about James Harden and the 76ers is an exhausting practice. How much can his relationship with the 76ers worsen? Somehow, we keep hitting a new note on that saga. The events surrounding these two entities have now taken a new shape. Earlier, it was James Harden unwilling to play at all. Now, the 76ers are asking him to pack his bags. What an ironic twist indeed!

Despite wanting to play, the former MVP is now being denied. Because of this situation, many NBA analysts have urged the 76ers to take action. When will all parties, especially James Harden, be out of their misery? Another commenter pleads for this drama to end as soon as possible.

The hatred between James Harden and Philly emboldens further 

Gauge the market and see if the team can even get a couple of picks or a budding player. There was a sense that the 76ers would wait to trade Harden till the mid-season deadline for something like this.

So far, the market has been dry. Teams are unwilling to bet on the 2018 MVP. It may not change around the trade deadline, especially if he is not playing. So much so that Jrue Holiday’s trade value is a hundred-fold higher. There are just no suitors for the guard. Denying him the right to board the team flight is a way of telling him that they don’t need him anymore. This is a shift from their earlier position when they wished that he played with full force and remained with the team.

This paves the way for dual reasons as to why the last season’s assists per-game leader decided to show up for work. First of all, he doesn’t want to lose money like Ben Simmons, who underwent a similar situation with the franchise. Secondly, if he gets starting-level playing time, he can build on his one-of-a-kind resume. This will also allow him to show the league that he isn’t done yet.

But like franchises, most analysts are now done with James Harden too. That’s why veteran analyst Michael Wilbon called for an ASAP Harden trade. During ESPN’s First Take, he passionately urged, “Trade him before we get off the air. You gotta get rid of James Harden. You have to. I have talked to too many people with the whole context of him and Philly”.

Then the ESPN commenter revealed what he concluded about the whole situation.

Any chance of a James Harden trade?

He explained, “You gonna get 75% of dollars at best. You may have to settle for less than that. I get it. You don’t wanna do it. You need an asset that’s gonna help Joel Embiid get close to Milwaukee and Boston. But you’re not gonna do that with James Harden”.

This plea by Pardon the Interruption co-host is an echo of many voices, especially the Guard himself. While his reputation has tarnished, he can still hoop!

READ MORE: James Harden Dodges $1.5 Million Bullet from Sixers

He is a former MVP, multiple-time scoring champion, and just led the league in assists per game last season. Of course, he’d want to display his skills. He knows how to get it done as a scorer and playmaker, and upon seeing him up-close, a team’s management may take a chance. However, even that chance looks dusted. The only interested party Clippers has paused their pursuit. Philly doesn’t wanna settle for less either.

Are they deliberately elongating Harden’s troubles by not trading him? After all, he called the President of Basketball Operation Daryl Morey a liar, thousands of miles away in China.

Watch This Story: Staring Down the Barrel of $1.5 Million Blow, James Harden’s “Unexcused Absence” Is “Only the Beginning” in 76ers Drama, per Veteran Analyst