21 August 2023 , 18:32
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Further details have emerged regarding the future of James Harden at the Philadelphia 76ers following his recent comments about the team’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey.
The Sixers point guard recently slammed Morey by labelling him a “liar” during a promotional appearance for Adidas in Shanghai last week. Harden would also claim that he "will never be a part of an organisation that he’s (Morey) a part of."
As a result, it emerged that the NBA would be investigating the comments made by Harden. It was reported by ESPN that the aim of the investigation was to determine if Harden or the Sixers front office had violated any league guidelines.
Harden’s comments came after he agreed to sign his $36.5 million one-year player option in his contract earlier in the summer. Had he chosen not to sign, the 10-time NBA All-Star would be a free agent and get a new deal in the process, but for now he is still a part of the Sixers roster.
Now a fresh report from The Athletic has emerged which has provided details on the investigation into the comments made by Harden. The article states that, when questioned by the NBA, Harden is said to have stated that his “liar comments about Morey were in relation to the player being traded.
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The report says that Harden told league investigators that Morey stated he would be traded “quickly” after signing the player option in his contract. However, as things stand Harden is still a Sixers player and there are little to no signs of the player being traded.
James Harden's future with the Philadelphia 76ers continues to be in doubt (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)After the conclusion of the 2022/23 NBA season, it was widely reported that Harden could find himself playing for a new team for the upcoming season. A host of franchises were rumoured to be interested in signing the 33-year-old, but everything changed after he signed his player option.
The LA Clippers were the team that have been most linked with potentially signing Harden, had he been a free agent. The New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics were also mentioned, although a move of any kind is becoming increasingly unlikely.
ESPN reported that the Sixers expect Harden to return to the team for the start of training camp in September. The 2023/24 NBA season is due to begin at the end of October, but it remains to be seen whether Harden will still be in Philadelphia when that rolls around.