Did James Harden’s personal ambition ruin his chances of a trade to the Houston Rockets?
The feud between the former MVP and the Sixers has been ‘the’ story of the offseason and now it seems there is yet another intriguing layer to unravel.
From the moment James Harden exercised his final year option, the ride that we’ve been taken on has seen a war of words with the franchise’s president, a failed move to the Los Angeles Clippers, and most recently his arrival at training camp.
How did James Harden get here?
You may recall that back in June, James Harden took the decision to exercise his $35.6 million option and then proceeded to request a trade. Unfortunately, the market proved unwilling to absorb the 10-time All-Star’s salary and so the former Rockets star was effectively caught in no-man’s land. What’s happened since is the stuff of TV dramas, but worth noting is the fact that Harden would go on to call 76ers president, Daryl Morey, a liar before declaring that he would never play for an organization that Morey was part of.
What came next was a slew of reaction pieces from the press and theories about potential trade destinations, but what actually happened was that Harden’s one chance at an exit fell through, as reports indicated that negotiations with the Clippers - his preferred destination - were unsuccessful. Understandably, speculation about whether Harden would turn up to training camp was intense. Ultimately, and just on Tuesday to be precise. In that sense, it would seem that the saga has ended and assumedly James Harden will be on the 76ers roster this coming season. Yet, that’s where things get interesting. Not only is there is still the very real possibility that he could still be traded, but some reports have indicated that he actually could have been, if not for his own personal demands. That’s where the Houston Rockets come in.
So, James Harden sabotaged his move to the Houston Rockets?
Frankly, yes. According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the Houston Rockets - his former team - were in fact interested in acquiring Harden, and more importantly, were willing to offer him a max deal. As per Smith’s " very reliable source,” however, new head coach Ime Udoka and by extension the franchise itself pulled the plug on the move due to the fact that Harden stated he wanted to win another scoring title. It’s understood that Harden’s apparent personal ambition rather than team mentality, was somewhat of a turnoff to a front office that wants to win a championship in the near future.
If you didn’t know, Harden has three scoring titles to his name and they were consecutive (2017-2020). Since then, it’s been the Golden State Warriors talisman, Steph Curry, and Harden’s own teammate, Joel Embiid. This is to say that regardless of where you stand on Harden, the chances of him winning another scoring title in Philly while playing with Embiid are next to none, something he is clearly affected by. What’s worth noting here, is the fact that Udoka and Co. didn’t move on a player of Harden’s stature on the grounds that it wouldn’t be good for the team as a whole.
What happens to James Harden now?
Before we get to that, let’s take a moment to appreciate the idea that Harden - assuming Smith’s account is accurate - essentially sabotaged his own move to a team he previously spent nine seasons with, and has openly and consistently expressed his affection for, by putting himself before the team. Not to mention the small issue of more than $200 million that he would have earned in the deal. So, what happens to James Harden now? Given his presence at Tuesday’s training session, logic would dictate that the 34-year-old has resigned himself to staying in Philly, for the moment at least. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the fact it didn’t have to be this way.