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James Harden No Longer Wants To Play For Philadelphia & Won’t Be In Training Camp
James Harden No Longer Wants To Play For Philadelphia & Has No Plan Of Taking Part In Training Camp
Still nothing to see here if you’re looking for major momentum toward a James Harden trade. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday night that the Sixers have “ended trade talks” involving Harden and plan to bring him back to training camp.
Though notable, that is not a stunning development whatsoever. As Sixers president of basketball Daryl Morey outlined in a July interview with 97.5 The Fanatic’s Anthony Gargano, the Sixers have held the view that a Harden trade would need to give them “either a very good player or something that we can turn into a very good player.”
For many reasons, it hasn’t appeared probable that such a deal would quickly materialize. Harden wants to play for his hometown Clippers, whose future draft picks are obviously not perceived the same way around the NBA as those of a less competitive team in a less attractive destination.
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And though the Clippers absolutely have several non-star players that could help most teams — Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Robert Covington, etc. — it’s easy to see why the Sixers wouldn’t be compelled to accept a bits-and-pieces sort of package and believe doing so would eventually aid in landing an elite talent.
If they knew what to expect from Harden, everything would be simpler for the Sixers. However, there’s been nothing to indicate he’s shifted his thinking. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Saturday that Harden, who exercised his $35.6 million player option in late June, still “no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans of taking part in training camp.”
It’s thoroughly unclear if Harden will change his mind and when that might happen. While the 10-time All-Star had a long, positive relationship with Morey up until this offseason, that does not seem pertinent now. Morey acknowledged in his 97.5 The Fanatic interview that Harden was “wishing for a different situation contractually” and isn’t currently amenable to playing for the Sixers again.
Harden will turn 34 years old in two weeks. Around the NBA, training camps will open on Oct. 3. The Sixers start the preseason on Oct. 8 and they’ll reportedly begin the regular season on Oct. 26 against the Bucks.
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