[Saba Sports News] James Harden continues to express his desire for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, but he won’t stay away from the team while awaiting resolution.
Harden was notably absent from the 76ers’ media day on Monday and didn’t participate in the team’s training camp at Colorado State University on Tuesday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, however, indicates that Harden is expected to rejoin the team in the near future.
Speculation had been rife that Harden might skip training camp in an attempt to pressure the team into a trade. However, this route could lead to substantial fines, which may be deterring him from taking that path.
Harden exercised his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season but swiftly requested a trade from the 76ers. He has publicly criticized executive Daryl Morey in an effort to increase the trade’s urgency. Still, Morey is not rushing to trade the 10-time All-Star and won’t allow a rival team to acquire him for free.
Recent reports suggest that Harden is dissatisfied with the 76ers’ failure to trade him to a specific team. Harden has a track record of engineering trades, as demonstrated by his moves from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets and then from Brooklyn to Philadelphia. Whether he causes any training camp drama remains to be seen.