James Harden
has harsh words for the 76ers' president.
Just days after the Philadelphia 76ers
reportedly halted James Harden's request to be traded, the star guard had some
choice words for team president Daryl Morey.
Harden made his sentiments towards Sixers
president of basketball operations Daryl Morey clear on Monday while answering
questions at a press event hosted by Adidas in China.
The crowd member who posed this
question to Harden said, "What do you think about the current team
claiming to end trade talks and trying to bring you back to the team?" His
reply was completely honest.
Harden has stated, "Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of any organization that he is a part of." Let me repeat myself: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never join an organization that includes someone like that.
Despite Harden's "emphatic"
wish to be transferred, which ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski claims he made clear
months ago, the 76 years allegedly ended trade talks with him on Saturday.
Harden and current Kia MVP Joel Embiid
were supposed to lead the 76ers to their first Eastern Conference Finals
appearance since 2001. Instead, Philadelphia has fallen in the Eastern
Conference semis the past two seasons, most recently to Boston by a score of
4-3 after being up 3-2 in the series.
Harden's productivity has decreased
when playing alongside Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and now Embiid in Philadelphia
after he flourished as a perennial MVP candidate (and an MVP) with the Houston
Rockets.
While no longer playing with the
Rockets, the three-time scoring leader and two-time assist leader has
maintained a 20-point and 10-assist per-game average over the last three
seasons. In 2011-12, when he was a star on a young and promising Oklahoma City
team that included future MVP candidates James Harden, Kevin Durant, and
Russell Westbrook, he shot 38.5% from beyond the arc.
Despite Harden's insistence on being
moved this offseason, Wojnarowski notes that the 76ers "wouldn't make a
trade that they believed would compromise their title hopes."
Harden opted into his $35.6 million contract for next season during the offseason. Harden, who would have been 33 at the time, could have chosen to forego the option and test the free agency waters. The Sixers could have presented him with a four-year, $210 million contract, or $8 million more than the next highest off.
0 Comments