The James Harden trade saga is set to rumble on into the 2023-24 NBA season. The 2018 MVP requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this summer. Harden then increased the pressure on his trade request by branding Daryl Morey a liar during a trip to China. However, Harden’s exploits have failed to have the desired effect.
Harden is still with the Sixers. He has trained with the roster during training camp and has not created any problems. Nevertheless, Harden is seen as a volatile asset that could become disruptive at any point, leading some to believe Morey should move quickly to resolve the issue.
Yet, Morey is expected to continue biding his time as he waits for a favorable trade package to cross his desk.
“Still, some outsiders — especially in a passionate Philly market — remain vocally antsy to quickly cut ties with Harden, to make a trade now (even if it is less-than-satisfactory) to end any potential drama, distraction or irritation,”Gina Mizell wrote for The Inquirer. “The belief inside the organization, a source recently told The Inquirer, is that such a move would be too reckless to justify. That it would all but guarantee the Sixers would drop to a lower tier — directly countering their goal to compete for contender status every season of Joel Embiid’s tenure.”
Harden ended last season among the league leaders in assists per game. While The Beard isn’t the scoring extraordinaire he once was, he is still an elite guard in the NBA. The lack of interest in Harden isn’t due to his skills, but rather his reputation for forcing his way out of situations in the loudest way possible.
The Sixers want to build a contender. They want to convince Joel Embiid that his future remains with the franchise. Quickly trading Harden to avoid a potential confrontation is counter-productive to those plans. Morey will allow Harden’s trade saga to roll on until a time comes when he believes Philadelphia is getting fair value in a deal.
Until then, Harden will remain with the Sixers, regardless of the outside noise.
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