It all began with an NBA player, the coveted former MVP James Harden, opting into his 2023-24 player option to allow the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him to get assets back. Nearly two months later, Harden remains in Philly, and his trade request has become a debate within the league.
Spending days in China mid-August, Harden angrily stated during an Adidas press event that his relationship with Daryl Morey is tarnished. He would state, "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of." He doubled down on his statement right away at the event, repeating the same exact sentence. The video caught fire on social media. Heads turned to the 76ers' front office.
After some of the flames had subsided, the NBA decided to launch an official investigation into the "liar" claims on August 19. According to Harden, Morey is pronounced a "liar" for being unable to fulfill an apparent promise to "quickly" trade Harden after he initially opted into his player option in late June. All eyes sat on a possible trade between the Clippers and 76ers, as Harden reportedly preferred to team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, on August 12, it became public knowledge that all trade talks for Harden had been closed by the 76ers. Adrian Wojnarowski reported, "The Sixers had periodic offseason conversations with the LA Clippers -- Harden's desired destination." Woj also would say that "the Sixers' asking price was steep and no teams, including the Clippers, were willing or able to meet it."
Seems to add up. Unironically, and no sarcasm. Harden is to be 34 years old, noted as a "playoff choker", yet he still was the 2023 assists leader and helped lead the 76ers to two crucial playoff wins in the semifinals, with 40-plus point performances. He disappeared the other five games, however. At his best, Harden is one of the best shooters and floor generals in the league, and a player who is certainly worth lots of money. Perhaps not a max contract anymore, but he wouldn't be paid chump change for a resume like his.
Let's look at the Clippers. The 76ers look to keep a close-window title-contending roster. With that being said, shooting for solely picks and scrubs isn't the way to go, which is how most "blockbuster" trades end up being done. Obviously, the 76ers would search for superstar Paul George, an All-Star and proven great, but most likely untouchable. The Clippers would most likely offer a pool of players like Robert Covington, Terrence Mann, Norman Powell, Bones Hyland, or Marcus Morris. It seems unlikely that the 76ers would score all these guys in one move, maybe if they added the already unhappy Furkan Korkmaz, or Jaden Springer. The ideal situation for the 76ers is to score a star or a group of good role players with a low cost, and for the Clippers, it's a low cost for Harden. There is no true attractive trade for both sides.
Hence the "liar" part. Harden is angry at Morey, essentially for the fact he couldn't find a legit trade quick enough. Harden seemed zoned in on the Clippers, so good on Morey for keeping himself locked to LA. Once again, an aging star, who may not have the same value he did as a lone wolf in Houston, won't be worth the attractive haul. Unfortunately for Harden, it is safe to say the 76ers wouldn't be trading the Beard for the Clippers' 10th or 11th man.
Some NBA fans may be skeptical, more at Harden than at Morey. This is Harden's third trade request since 2020, first to get out of Houston, next to seemingly give up on a potential comeback in Brooklyn, and now the City of Brotherly Love. Now some may respect Harden's motive to opt in and allow the 76ers to get assets back, but it is almost laughable that he didn't even consider the possibility that a trade wouldn't go through. He had the power to opt out, become one of the top free agents, and grab a nice contract wherever he wanted.
Maybe it really is Morey's fault, though. How about we simply take a look at the Portland Trail Blazers. On July 1, superstar guard Damian Lillard requested a trade after years of sticking with the underwhelming Blazers. The Blazers have not been doing great at all with his request, seemingly holding Lillard hostage, no rush to rid of Lillard anytime soon. In fact, they continue to not hold a Lillard trade at the top of their interest list. They actively ignore Lillard and his needs.
Daryl Morey decided to actively pursue the trade immediately, making strides with the Clippers. However, no deal could come to fruition even after a little over a month of talking. It's clear that the organization had attempted it. The blame could definitely be blamed more on Morey if he actively ignored Harden's requests. While it is an uncomfortable situation to pray for Harden to want to come back, it's in the best interest of the 76ers. Meanwhile, the Blazers need to choose to either commit to a rebuild or, well, that seems to be their only option. The Blazers are scared of committing, however.
In the age of player empowerment, in the trend of load management, it's easy to be on Harden's side in the feud. Yet on the outside looking in, it's a far more convoluted situation that requires an understanding from both sides of the coin.
Said coin has resulted in a $100,000 fine on James Harden from the NBA.
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