There’s no hope for James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers to work out their differences, the star guard says.
The 10-time All-Star requested a trade from the team earlier this offseason, but nothing materialized.
The team plans to bring him into training camp.
When making an appearance on a radio show in Houston, where he used to play, Harden was asked if it is “too late” to fix the relationship with his team.
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James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts to a play against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals at Wells Fargo Center May 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
“I think so,” he replied.
Harden recently made headlines for calling team president Daryl Morey a “liar,” adding he “will never be a part of an organization that (Morey’s) a part of.”
It’s unclear what prompted Harden’s comments, but the situation is being investigated by the NBA.
Morey, as an executive with the Houston Rockets, caused a stir in 2019 when he posted a pro-Hong Kong message as protesters demonstrated against a law that would allow extradition of fugitives wanted in China. The protests turned violent.
That prompted a blackout of the NBA in China, and the league’s relationship with the country has not been the same since.
At the time, the NBA was in the middle of a preseason tour that included the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. Advertisements of the games were taken down. The Rockets were in Japan at the time, and Harden was among team members who broke from Morey’s tweets.
Morey, who spent eight seasons with Harden with the Rockets, said he was “attempting to honor” Harden’s trade request but only if Philadelphia receives significant compensation in return.
James Harden, left, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey of the Philadelphia 76ers during a press conference at the 76ers’ practice facility Feb. 15, 2022, in Camden, N.J. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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“I do have a long relationship with him. I’m attempting to honor that,” Morey said in a radio interview with 97.5 The Fanatic in July.
In his two seasons in Philadelphia, Harden has averaged 21.0 points, 10.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game alongside Joel Embiid, who was named the NBA’s MVP last season.
The Sixers failed to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the 22nd consecutive season when they lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics in May.
James Harden and head coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers during a game May 14, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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With the team once again falling short of expectations, the Sixers’ front office made an immediate change, firing head coach Doc Rivers after three seasons and replacing him with Nick Nurse.
Harden turns 34 Saturday and is entering his 15th NBA season.
