The Philadelphia 76ers’ star guard James Harden still hasn’t changed his mind about wanting to be traded. But it turns out it wasn’t that long ago when Harden intended to spend the rest of his career with the franchise.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Harden said that his intention was to retire as a member of the 76ers when he was traded to Philly from the Brooklyn Nets midway through the 2021-22 season.

“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.

But according to the 34-year-old player, the 76ers’ had other plans that caused him to rethink his stance.

“The front office didn’t have that in their future plan. It’s literally out of my control. It’s something I didn’t want to happen to be in this position,” he added.

After not being offered a new contract by the 76ers at the start of the offseason, Harden picked up his player option for the 2023-24 season and issued a trade request. He later publicly revealed that he blames Philly’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morrey, for the entire situation and even called him a “liar” during one media appearance.

Despite all the controversy, Harden decided to take part in the 76ers’ training camp but doesn’t see his relationship with the franchise repairing.

“It’s not just about this situation, but in life, when you lose trust in someone … it’s like a marriage, when you lose trust in someone, it’s pretty simple,” Harden told reporters when asked about the possibility of reconciling with the 76ers’ front office.

Harden reportedly wants to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, but that doesn’t seem a viable option at the moment. The 76ers are seeking a substantial return if they were to trade Harden, but the Clippers, being the only interested team, are not willing to give up much for the former NBA MVP.

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The Philadelphia 76ers made it clear that they don’t have any intention of trading their star guard James Harden. But that isn’t stopping Harden from hoping he’ll get his wish and land with the LA Clippers this season.

After failing to get an extension with the 76ers early in the offseason, Harden picked up a player option of $35.6 million for 2023-24 and requested a trade. Philly had talks with multiple teams but failed to find an offer they liked and told the player they expected him to report for training camp.

In a recent piece published on Yahoo Sports, NBA reporter Jake Fischer wrote that Harden hasn’t been discouraged by recent developments. The 34-year-old still believes he’ll get his way and has the Clippers as his preferred destination.

Reportedly, Harden prefers the Clippers because he likes the city of Los Angeles and thinks he would have a better chance of winning an NBA title there. Also, he believes that the franchise would be ready to give him a big contract extension next offseason.

Harden’s situation will be much clearer once the training camp opens. The former NBA MVP isn’t a stranger to causing some drama in order to push for a trade, having done so during his previous stops.

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game with the 76ers last season.

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The relationship between the Philadelphia 76ers and their star guard James Harden seems to be worse than anyone could have guessed. Harden, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, appears to particularly have a beef with 76ers’ president Daryl Morey, whom he called “a liar” during a public appearance over the weekend.

The 76ers explored deals for Harden in recent weeks but reportedly decided to pull the plug on all trade talks and are now expecting the player to join them for training camp. This didn’t sit well with Harden, who didn’t hold back when speaking on Morey while taking part in an Adidas media event in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Harden agreed on a team-friendly deal with the 76ers last summer in hopes that the leftover money would be used to make Philly’s roster stronger. He reportedly also expected to get a new deal this summer that would pay him at the top of the market. However, Morey and the 76ers’ front office apparently were not too eager to engage in new negotiations, which ended up angering the player and prompting him to want out.

Several teams were interested in acquiring Harden, including the LA Clippers, but the 76ers’ asking price proved to be quite steep. It remains to be seen whether Philly is now willing to lower their demands or risk an unhappy star on their roster.

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James Harden signed a below-market contract with the Philadelphia 76ers last offseason in hopes of helping the organization put together a time worthy of an NBA title. But after the 76ers flamed out in the postseason again, Harden now wants to get the money he missed out on.

According to Bleacher Reporter’s Chris Haynes, Harden is expected to opt out of his 76ers’ contract and test the free agency in the summer. The 33-year-old player has a $35.6 million option for 2023-24.

Haynes reports that Harden wants to get one last big NBA deal and is aiming to get a max contract in four years. He will also look for a team that has a “competitive roster” and “basketball freedom”.

It was long rumored that Harden might return to the Houston Rockets, but now that seems like a long shot due to the “competitiveness” requirement. The former NBA MVP is also being linked with the Phoenix Suns, but that doesn’t seem to be a realistic option due to his contractual demands.

The 76ers are still the most likely team to have Harden on their roster next season. They can offer him the most money and have a competitive roster despite their playoff struggles this year. Also, they have fired head coach Doc Rivers, who reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with Harden.

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game in 2022-23. He missed out on the All-Star team selection, breaking his streak of 10 consecutive All-Star nods. 

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Superstar guard James Harden said that he is willing to take less money in order to help the 76ers win an NBA title. And he made good on his word on Wednesday by signing a two-year, $68.6 million deal.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden will earn $33 million this upcoming season and will then have a $35.6 million player option for 2023-24.

The new contract sees Harden leaving a big chunk of money on the table. He previously declined his $47.3 million option on his old deal to become a free agent. But instead of pursuing a lucrative contract in free agency or getting one from Philly, he decided to give the 76ers a rarely-seen discount.

“I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign, and give me whatever is left over,” Harden said earlier this week when asked about his contract negotiations.

Harden’s move sends a strong signal that he’s interested in winning at this point in his career and is ready to put his money where his mouth is in order to do it. The 32-year-old player played 21 games in Philly after joining from the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the trade deadline and averaged 21.0 points, 7.1 points, and 10.5 rebounds per game.

The money Harden decided not to take was previously invested in free agent acquisitions P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., with more additions expected to follow soon.

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Superstar guard James Harden finally got his wish. According to multiple reports, the Houston Rockets traded Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a massive trade that also included the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.

The trade was finalized on Wednesday night and came after Harden pushed for Rockets exit for the better part of the offseason and publicly expressed his unhappiness in recent days.

In exchange for parting ways with one of the best players in the NBA in recent years, the Rockets received a big package that was headlined by the Nets’ three unprotected first-round draft picks in 2022, 2024, and 2026, as well as four pick swaps. Houston also got Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo, Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs, Cavs guard Dante Exum, and a 2022 first-rounder from Cleveland via the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cleveland landed center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince from Brooklyn in the trade, while Indiana walked away with Nets talented guard Caris LeVert, who was initially supposed to go to Houston, and a 2023 second-round pick from the Rockets.

Brooklyn, on the other hand, got the best player in the deal in Harden and a 2024 second-rounder from the Cavs.

James Harden initially asked for a trade during training camp, but the Rockets weren’t in a hurry to make a deal and opted to sit out and wait for the best offer. Still, the organization decided to fast-track talks with other teams on Tuesday after Harden said that Houston isn’t “good enough” to challenge for the NBA title and that the situation “can’t be fixed” during a press conference.

The trade has massive implications on both the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets, but the rest of the league is also set to feel the consequences.

After being a playoff participant and contender for the better part of the past decade, the Rockets are now going down the rebuilding path. They still have a veteran team that could possibly make a run for the postseason, with John Wall, Oladipo, and Chris Wood on board, but the competition in the West is too big for this to be a realistic goal.

On the bright side, Houston got to replenish their draft chest and now have a much brighter long-term future. Most of their own draft picks were spent on building around James Harden and included trades for Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

The Nets parted way with their long-term future but have arguably the scariest trio in the NBA at the moment. With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has three guys that could easily average more than 25 points per game this season, with each being able to take over the game at any given point.

The trade put the Nets as the biggest favorites to go all the way in 2020-21 behind LA Lakers but also increased the pressure on the organization, first-year head coach Steve Nash, and Harden, Durant, and Irving. They now have to win a title in a two-year window because everything else will be considered a failure of epic proportions.

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Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and James Harden being on the same team is something you can only imagine in the realm of video games. But as it turns out, Golden State had an idea of making this happen in real life.

The Athletic’s NBA Insider Shams Charania recently made an appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast and revealed that the Warriors were one of the teams that contacted the Houston Rockets when it became obvious that Harden wants to play elsewhere.

According to Charania, the talks took place before Thompson suffered an Achilles injury that will rule him out for the second season in a row. After this, Golden State dropped out of the race for Harden.

Even if Thompson had remained healthy, it is unclear whether the Warriors could’ve given the Rockets an attractive enough offer. Houston is reportedly asking for a ransom type of a deal for their All-Star, and Golden State clearly doesn’t have enough assets to come even close.

James Harden reportedly told the Rockets’ brass that he wanted out last month, citing his wishes to play for a team that can compete for a championship. Harden’s preferred destination is reportedly the Brooklyn Nets, where he would team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

So far, Houston has been resisting to let Harden go, and they expect to see him in training camp. What happens after remains to be seen.

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With all the changes taking place inside the Houston Rockets’ organization, it was only a matter of time before their superstar James Harden will enter the realm of trade rumors. And the time is now.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Harden has emerged as a target for the Philadelphia 76ers. Reportedly, Philly is determined to make a move for the 2018’s NBA MVP, although the Rockets are currently not interested.

If there is truth in these reports, then the interest is probably fueled by Daryl Morey, longtime Rockets’ general manager who recently became the 76ers’ new president of basketball operations. Morey was the one who brought Houston in 2012, and the two are believed to have a strong friendship.

As Charania points out, moving Harden isn’t an option that the Rockets consider at this point. The organization believes they have a title despite recent front office and head coaching changes and are looking into ways how to improve their roster rather than blow it up.

Any hypothetical trade for James Harden would have the potential to be the biggest in NBA history, considering what’s at stake. Harden has four straight All-NBA First team selections, has led the NBA in scoring in three out of the last four years, and has four top-three finishes in MVP voting alongside one award.

Still, don’t expect Morey to stop trying. He has a reputation of a risk-taker and isn’t strange to trying out long-shot moves even if they seem virtually impossible.

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The Philadelphia 76ers’ star guard James Harden still hasn’t changed his mind about wanting to be traded. But it turns out it wasn’t that long ago when Harden intended to spend the rest of his career with the franchise.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Harden said that his intention was to retire as a member of the 76ers when he was traded to Philly from the Brooklyn Nets midway through the 2021-22 season.

“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.

But according to the 34-year-old player, the 76ers’ had other plans that caused him to rethink his stance.

“The front office didn’t have that in their future plan. It’s literally out of my control. It’s something I didn’t want to happen to be in this position,” he added.

After not being offered a new contract by the 76ers at the start of the offseason, Harden picked up his player option for the 2023-24 season and issued a trade request. He later publicly revealed that he blames Philly’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morrey, for the entire situation and even called him a “liar” during one media appearance.

Despite all the controversy, Harden decided to take part in the 76ers’ training camp but doesn’t see his relationship with the franchise repairing.

“It’s not just about this situation, but in life, when you lose trust in someone … it’s like a marriage, when you lose trust in someone, it’s pretty simple,” Harden told reporters when asked about the possibility of reconciling with the 76ers’ front office.

Harden reportedly wants to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, but that doesn’t seem a viable option at the moment. The 76ers are seeking a substantial return if they were to trade Harden, but the Clippers, being the only interested team, are not willing to give up much for the former NBA MVP.

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The Philadelphia 76ers made it clear that they don’t have any intention of trading their star guard James Harden. But that isn’t stopping Harden from hoping he’ll get his wish and land with the LA Clippers this season.

After failing to get an extension with the 76ers early in the offseason, Harden picked up a player option of $35.6 million for 2023-24 and requested a trade. Philly had talks with multiple teams but failed to find an offer they liked and told the player they expected him to report for training camp.

In a recent piece published on Yahoo Sports, NBA reporter Jake Fischer wrote that Harden hasn’t been discouraged by recent developments. The 34-year-old still believes he’ll get his way and has the Clippers as his preferred destination.

Reportedly, Harden prefers the Clippers because he likes the city of Los Angeles and thinks he would have a better chance of winning an NBA title there. Also, he believes that the franchise would be ready to give him a big contract extension next offseason.

Harden’s situation will be much clearer once the training camp opens. The former NBA MVP isn’t a stranger to causing some drama in order to push for a trade, having done so during his previous stops.

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game with the 76ers last season.

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The relationship between the Philadelphia 76ers and their star guard James Harden seems to be worse than anyone could have guessed. Harden, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, appears to particularly have a beef with 76ers’ president Daryl Morey, whom he called “a liar” during a public appearance over the weekend.

The 76ers explored deals for Harden in recent weeks but reportedly decided to pull the plug on all trade talks and are now expecting the player to join them for training camp. This didn’t sit well with Harden, who didn’t hold back when speaking on Morey while taking part in an Adidas media event in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Harden agreed on a team-friendly deal with the 76ers last summer in hopes that the leftover money would be used to make Philly’s roster stronger. He reportedly also expected to get a new deal this summer that would pay him at the top of the market. However, Morey and the 76ers’ front office apparently were not too eager to engage in new negotiations, which ended up angering the player and prompting him to want out.

Several teams were interested in acquiring Harden, including the LA Clippers, but the 76ers’ asking price proved to be quite steep. It remains to be seen whether Philly is now willing to lower their demands or risk an unhappy star on their roster.

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James Harden signed a below-market contract with the Philadelphia 76ers last offseason in hopes of helping the organization put together a time worthy of an NBA title. But after the 76ers flamed out in the postseason again, Harden now wants to get the money he missed out on.

According to Bleacher Reporter’s Chris Haynes, Harden is expected to opt out of his 76ers’ contract and test the free agency in the summer. The 33-year-old player has a $35.6 million option for 2023-24.

Haynes reports that Harden wants to get one last big NBA deal and is aiming to get a max contract in four years. He will also look for a team that has a “competitive roster” and “basketball freedom”.

It was long rumored that Harden might return to the Houston Rockets, but now that seems like a long shot due to the “competitiveness” requirement. The former NBA MVP is also being linked with the Phoenix Suns, but that doesn’t seem to be a realistic option due to his contractual demands.

The 76ers are still the most likely team to have Harden on their roster next season. They can offer him the most money and have a competitive roster despite their playoff struggles this year. Also, they have fired head coach Doc Rivers, who reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with Harden.

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game in 2022-23. He missed out on the All-Star team selection, breaking his streak of 10 consecutive All-Star nods. 

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Superstar guard James Harden said that he is willing to take less money in order to help the 76ers win an NBA title. And he made good on his word on Wednesday by signing a two-year, $68.6 million deal.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden will earn $33 million this upcoming season and will then have a $35.6 million player option for 2023-24.

The new contract sees Harden leaving a big chunk of money on the table. He previously declined his $47.3 million option on his old deal to become a free agent. But instead of pursuing a lucrative contract in free agency or getting one from Philly, he decided to give the 76ers a rarely-seen discount.

“I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign, and give me whatever is left over,” Harden said earlier this week when asked about his contract negotiations.

Harden’s move sends a strong signal that he’s interested in winning at this point in his career and is ready to put his money where his mouth is in order to do it. The 32-year-old player played 21 games in Philly after joining from the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the trade deadline and averaged 21.0 points, 7.1 points, and 10.5 rebounds per game.

The money Harden decided not to take was previously invested in free agent acquisitions P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., with more additions expected to follow soon.

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Superstar guard James Harden finally got his wish. According to multiple reports, the Houston Rockets traded Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a massive trade that also included the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.

The trade was finalized on Wednesday night and came after Harden pushed for Rockets exit for the better part of the offseason and publicly expressed his unhappiness in recent days.

In exchange for parting ways with one of the best players in the NBA in recent years, the Rockets received a big package that was headlined by the Nets’ three unprotected first-round draft picks in 2022, 2024, and 2026, as well as four pick swaps. Houston also got Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo, Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs, Cavs guard Dante Exum, and a 2022 first-rounder from Cleveland via the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cleveland landed center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince from Brooklyn in the trade, while Indiana walked away with Nets talented guard Caris LeVert, who was initially supposed to go to Houston, and a 2023 second-round pick from the Rockets.

Brooklyn, on the other hand, got the best player in the deal in Harden and a 2024 second-rounder from the Cavs.

James Harden initially asked for a trade during training camp, but the Rockets weren’t in a hurry to make a deal and opted to sit out and wait for the best offer. Still, the organization decided to fast-track talks with other teams on Tuesday after Harden said that Houston isn’t “good enough” to challenge for the NBA title and that the situation “can’t be fixed” during a press conference.

The trade has massive implications on both the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets, but the rest of the league is also set to feel the consequences.

After being a playoff participant and contender for the better part of the past decade, the Rockets are now going down the rebuilding path. They still have a veteran team that could possibly make a run for the postseason, with John Wall, Oladipo, and Chris Wood on board, but the competition in the West is too big for this to be a realistic goal.

On the bright side, Houston got to replenish their draft chest and now have a much brighter long-term future. Most of their own draft picks were spent on building around James Harden and included trades for Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

The Nets parted way with their long-term future but have arguably the scariest trio in the NBA at the moment. With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has three guys that could easily average more than 25 points per game this season, with each being able to take over the game at any given point.

The trade put the Nets as the biggest favorites to go all the way in 2020-21 behind LA Lakers but also increased the pressure on the organization, first-year head coach Steve Nash, and Harden, Durant, and Irving. They now have to win a title in a two-year window because everything else will be considered a failure of epic proportions.

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Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and James Harden being on the same team is something you can only imagine in the realm of video games. But as it turns out, Golden State had an idea of making this happen in real life.

The Athletic’s NBA Insider Shams Charania recently made an appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast and revealed that the Warriors were one of the teams that contacted the Houston Rockets when it became obvious that Harden wants to play elsewhere.

According to Charania, the talks took place before Thompson suffered an Achilles injury that will rule him out for the second season in a row. After this, Golden State dropped out of the race for Harden.

Even if Thompson had remained healthy, it is unclear whether the Warriors could’ve given the Rockets an attractive enough offer. Houston is reportedly asking for a ransom type of a deal for their All-Star, and Golden State clearly doesn’t have enough assets to come even close.

James Harden reportedly told the Rockets’ brass that he wanted out last month, citing his wishes to play for a team that can compete for a championship. Harden’s preferred destination is reportedly the Brooklyn Nets, where he would team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

So far, Houston has been resisting to let Harden go, and they expect to see him in training camp. What happens after remains to be seen.

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With all the changes taking place inside the Houston Rockets’ organization, it was only a matter of time before their superstar James Harden will enter the realm of trade rumors. And the time is now.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Harden has emerged as a target for the Philadelphia 76ers. Reportedly, Philly is determined to make a move for the 2018’s NBA MVP, although the Rockets are currently not interested.

If there is truth in these reports, then the interest is probably fueled by Daryl Morey, longtime Rockets’ general manager who recently became the 76ers’ new president of basketball operations. Morey was the one who brought Houston in 2012, and the two are believed to have a strong friendship.

As Charania points out, moving Harden isn’t an option that the Rockets consider at this point. The organization believes they have a title despite recent front office and head coaching changes and are looking into ways how to improve their roster rather than blow it up.

Any hypothetical trade for James Harden would have the potential to be the biggest in NBA history, considering what’s at stake. Harden has four straight All-NBA First team selections, has led the NBA in scoring in three out of the last four years, and has four top-three finishes in MVP voting alongside one award.

Still, don’t expect Morey to stop trying. He has a reputation of a risk-taker and isn’t strange to trying out long-shot moves even if they seem virtually impossible.

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