James Harden had pushed himself into a corner with all the antics he pulled off over the past few days. After his desire to be traded into the LA Clippers was not brought to fruition, he seemed dissatisfied and unhappy with the Sixers. He chose to be very vocal about it too, calling the team’s president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar for not giving him what he wanted.
The Sixers’ PG was a no-show on the team’s media day, as well as on the first day of training at Colorado. Following this, shenanigans seemed to have simmered down as he returned to join the team at the training camp on Wednesday.
James Harden returns, but still dissatisfied
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James has cooled down, and it finally looks like his head is in the game as training kicked off, but uncertainty regarding his trade still lingers. The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks carried out lineup restructuring by trading in Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard respectively. This has put pressure on the Sixers as James Harden expects a trade as well.
However, Daryl had implied that he was waiting for the most suitable deal for Harden. It is also not surprising that after all the tantrums that ‘The Beard’ Harden threw in the past couple of days, others are looking to break ties with him. This is to avoid future tension and ruckus, not with all the drama that ensues.
Harden stands his ground
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What with some already washing their hands from the drama, Philly seems to be playing it safe by retaining James Harden, as they need him as much as they need Joel Embiid. On the off-chance that Jrue Holiday had moved to the Sixers, the possibility of Harden’s departure would have been higher. But that ship has already sailed, and the Sixers can’t seem to find a suitable replacement.
Sources say that ever since his return, Harden has not spoken with the media, but he seems adamant about pushing his trade demands. Keeping in mind that the Clippers have also reciprocated and shown interest, he is hellbent on having his demands met. Needless to say, this is not the first time the man has pulled this stunt. There are still high chances that he will push his agenda forward; like he did when he opted to leave Houston in 2021 and then wiggled out of Houston to Brooklyn the following year.
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While Harden is looking for his exit, Philly might just as well start looking for a replacement for the 3-time scoring champion.
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