14 August 2023 , 10:56
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James Harden has made an astonishing speech against Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey.
Harden brandished Morey a 'liar' and has stated that he wants to leave the team this offseason.
At a basketball camp, he told reporters: "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. 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."
Morey has been Harden's general manager for 10 years, while trading for him twice when with the Houston Rockets and now the Philadelphia 76ers, but their relationship is clearly not in a good place.
After the conclusion of the 2022-23 NBA Play-offs, it was widely reported that Harden would likely leave the Sixers during the off-season - with him bizarrely being linked back to the struggling Rockets.
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The Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, and went another year without a championship - after another solid regular season.
And while Harden had reportedly wanted to be traded, ESPN have stated that Harden will not be leaving the Sixers this off-season after failing to reach an agreement over a trade.
James Harden (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)NBA teams are not scheduled to return for preseason training until the end of September, with Harden looking to be moved before that date - publicly going after his long-time boss in Morey.
Harden had reportedly wanted a long-term contract from the Sixers, but could not agree on terms with Morey clearly hesitant to give him that with the shooting guard struggling towards the end of the season.
He was traded to the Sixers from the Brooklyn Nets just 18 months ago, in the deal saw Ben Simmons head in the other direction.
Before being in Brooklyn, Harden spent 10 seasons with the Rockets - where he lives in the offseason and runs businesses out of - including having a stake in the Houston Dynamo.
The Rockets will be unlikely to trade for Harden without getting a third-team involved, with the team having little to offer the Sixers - who hope to compete for a championship with Joel Embiid rather than rebuild their roster after a Harden deal.