19 August 2023 , 16:18
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The NBA is investigating James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers after the All-Star guard's controversial claims about the team's president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey.
Harden, 33, twice publically labelled Morey a "liar" during a promotional appearance for Adidas in Shanghai, China, earlier this week. The 2018 NBA MVP also claimed that he "will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of."
Since returning to the United States and his home in Houston, Harden has only doubled down on the comments. The 10-time All-Star was asked about his relationship with the Sixers and agrees that is beyond repair.
ESPN now reports that the league has opened an investigation into the situation. They aim to ascertain whether the player or the front office has violated league guidelines.
The scrutiny of Harden is said to centre around whether his comments about never being part of a team that employs Morey constitutes him hinting about failing to report for training camp. Doing so would violate the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement.
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ESPN adds that Harden intends to attend. The team also expects him to.
Whereas with the Sixers, the inquiry is about a potential salary cap circumvention should they have illegally agreed to pay Harden less last season and remunerate him this offseason. However, he has not alleged that to be the case, with ESPN claiming that the player's comments are about Morey not yet obliging his trade request.
Harden made waves with his comments while on a promotional tour in China (Tang Yanjun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)The Los Angeles Clippers are widely understood to have engaged in trade talks with Philadelphia but are yet to strike a deal. Harden is also said to be keen on returning to the city where he was born and grew up.
However, prominent player-turned-pundit Kendrick Perkins has warned his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate that this behaviour endangers his place in the association. "James Harden has everything to lose, and if he's not careful, he could possibly be out of the league after next year," he said on NBA Today.
"You can't trust him. He's been disgruntled for the last 4-out-of-5 years with the (Houston) Rockets, the (Brooklyn) Nets, and now the Philadelphia 76ers."
Perkins continued: "You went and criticised a guy [ Joel Embiid ], a friend that values you more than anybody in the league. James Harden has everything to lose, and if he's not careful, he could possibly be out of the league after next year.
"Because here's the thing: You can't trust him. He's been disgruntled in the last four out of five years. The NBA doesn't need him. They move on from old superstars. They have a bunch of young superstars coming in every single year that can replace him."
If Harden gets his wish, he will move teams for the third consecutive year. His tenures in Houston and Brooklyn ended with him forcing his way out of those franchises to new markets.