02 October 2023 , 16:36
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NBA star James Harden is continuing to do what he can to force the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him.
The 34-year-old has made to secret of his desire to force a move away from the Eastern Conference team after he branded general manager Daryl Morey a “liar” and suggested he wouldn't fulfil his contractual services with the Sixers as long as Morey remained president. Now sources have told ESPN that the former league MVP has decided not to attend the team’s media day.
As a result, Harden may be subject to a fine for choosing not to fulfill one of his obligations. Should this occur, it will be the 10-time All-Star’s second fine in less than two months after he was fined $100,000 for his comments. The Sixers leave for Colorado on Monday afternoon to commence their training camp at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
The franchise does expect Harden to attend training camp, but his plans are currently unclear. Harden’s feud with the Sixers began during an Adidas event in China in August, when he made astonishing remarks about Morey after a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers broke down.
He has made it clear this offseason that he no longer wants to play for the 76ers and he only agreed to a £28 million player option in June to secure a guaranteed salary for the 2023 season. Harden had hoped he would have secured a trade before the start of training camp but despite his comments about Morey, the Sixers' general manager still wants Harden to be part of the team and hopes he will change his mind about leaving.
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The team Harden wants to be traded to is the Clippers, as he bids to return to his native California. The Sixers' asking price for Harden is high and while there have been talks between both teams regarding a trade, there has been no progress in coming to an agreement.
As the saga concerning Harden’s future continues, the three-time scoring champion was in Florida for the US Open Cup final between Inter Miami and Houston Dynamo last Thursday. Harden owns a minority share in the Western Conference club and he watched them defeat a Miami team without Lionel Messi 2-1 to win the trophy.
Harden may be facing a fine for choosing not to attend the Philadelphia 76ers media day (Tang Yanjun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)A jubilant Harden celebrated with the team's players on the pitch. He then gave an interview in which he said: "We've been going every single year and I guess for us to win a cup today on the road, it's a great feeling.”
When asked whether the win could provide a springboard for future success, he added: "We've got a long way to go but it's definitely a step in the right direction.
"Like I said, winning in this tough environment here in Miami is a good feeling. Obviously, they were [without] their best player but it's part of the game. A win is a win. I wanted to see [Messi] It would have made the game more exciting but being on the other side we take the win. I'm just happy for our guys."