76ers’ James Harden addresses trade request for the first time. What did he say?
The uncertainty around James Harden continues and it likely won’t be helped by his statement on social media. What happens next? Good question.
Though it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers are in no way anxious about the situation surrounding their star, it’s clear something isn’t right. With reports indicating that the team expects to see him in training camp, it’s quite possible that things get worse before they get better.
James Harden addresses trade situation...sort of
Just under a month ago, James Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option for next season with what appeared to be the clear intention to get himself a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers. To be clear, Harden has not touched on the topic since reports of his trade request first went public. That changed on Friday, however, when the former MVP who remains on the team’s roster, took to social media to give comment on the unfolding scenario. In what can only be described as a cryptic post to his Instagram story, Harden shared an image of a black background with white text that read: “Been comfortable for so long. It’s time to get uncomfortable.”
This isn’t James Harden’s first rodeo
One of the interesting things about Harden is that we’ve seen him do this before. Quite frankly, one could argue that the 33-year-old is especially skilled in forcing teams to give him what we want. This was the case in both Houston and Brooklyn when he decided he had enough. With that in mind, there is the distinct possibility that the standoff could drag out through the remainder of summer and all the way to media day on October 2nd, something that would result in him having to attend training camp. What that would look like is anybody’s guess.
For the moment, what we can assume is that as far as Harden is concerned, the point of no return has been passed. Having already removed any sign of the Sixers from both his Twitter and Instagram profiles, it’s blatantly obvious where he stands. Then, there added issue with what’s been said about his relationship with team president Daryl Morey. The word “fractured” has been used in case you’re wondering, which to be fair is somewhat surprising when we consider how long a history the pair have. Harden and Morey worked together during his time with the Rockets, a period which saw him make the All-Star team eight times in a row, lead the NBA in scoring twice, and crown it all with an MVP award in 2018. At this point, all we can say is ‘watch this space.’