[Saba Sports News] Harden’s Unresolved Relationship with 76ers James Harden is participating in training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers, but there appears to be no reconciliation between him and the team.
In a recent conversation with reporters, Harden was asked about the possibility of resolving the issues between him and 76ers president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey. Harden responded with a straightforward “no” and compared the situation to losing trust in a marriage.
“I can control what I can control,” Harden said. “I’ll take it one day at a time and focus on every day is a new day. But my plan is to play basketball, yes, for sure.”
Despite the strained relationship, Harden stated that he intends to continue working and playing basketball, emphasizing that he will focus on taking things one day at a time.
“When I got traded here, my whole thing was I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer,” Harden said. “The front office didn’t have that in their plans, you know what I mean? It’s really out of my control. It’s something I didn’t want to happen, to be in this position. But I gotta make a decision for my family. This is a business. It’s just as simple as that.”
Harden also expressed his initial desire to retire with the 76ers when they acquired him from the Brooklyn Nets. However, he acknowledged that the team did not share the same plan, leading to his decision to prioritize his family and consider his options.
Harden previously criticized Morey for not fulfilling his promise to trade him quickly. Last offseason, Harden declined a $47 million player option and signed a two-year deal with the Sixers, taking a pay cut. Speculation suggests that Morey may have changed his mind about offering Harden a max contract due to his performance decline last season.
In any case, Harden still seeks a trade from Philadelphia, but his preferred destination may take some time to materialize.