Harden will consider retiring if the Sixers don’t trade him
Reports that Harden, who is outside of the Sixers’ dynamic, is considering retirement if he is not traded. Other sources claim that he has not worked during the summer.
The absurd situation which James Harden finds himself in seems to have no end. The star keeps repeating his modus operandi, making life so impossible for his franchise that they feel forced to trade him. It is the same strategy he used with the Rockets and the Nets and what Philadelphia is suffering now. Management are looking for a solution behind the scenes and has not leaked anything regarding the player’s future.
What’s more, the only thing that has been known in recent days is that Harden, who is outside of the Sixers’ dynamic, has “personal problems” and has been seen on more than one occasion in Houston - a city in which he has had a residence since his time as a player for the Rockets and where he is currently located. And, apparently, with no date to return to playing basketball.
Adrian Wojnarowski, legendary ESPN journalist, is becoming one of the player’s main spokespersons in recent days, leaking endless snippets of informatione. He is the one who assured that Harden had personal reasons for his absence and a few hours ago said that he was a doubt for the NBA premiere, in which the Sixers travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks, buoyed by the star signing of the summer - Damian Lillard, and with recently renewed Giannis Antetokounmpo. Woj has fueled a new rumor, which says that Harden is considering retiring if he continues to be a Sixers player before the season begins.
You can see the obvious: Harden continues to tighten the cord (and on, and on...) in search of a change of scenery. And the Sixers remain on the sidelines of the issue, without entering into controversy and knowing (like everyone else) that the shooting guard’s intention is far from retiring. At 34 years old (he turned 34 on August 26), the figure of The Beard is increasingly devalued. The problems he generates in a franchise are almost always greater than the advantages he brings.
There has not been a sporting solution for a long time, he is not satisfied with the roster or his teammates and he permanently keeps teams in suspense - on top of breaking relationships that were thought unbreakable. The last one, the bust-up he had with Daryl Morey, General Manager of the Sixers who previously was the Rockets’ manager and who was one of the many responsible for turning Harden into a historically good offensive talent.
The problems of form, again in the foreground
All of the above is not the only common denominator of Harden’s career. Ramona Shelburne, also a journalist for ESPN, has assured that the player’s physical condition is more than questionable and that in the summer he has hardly worked on his fitness. A very recurring criticism towards the guard, known for arriving overweight to the preseason or for his permanent vices, which also harmed the rest of his teams.
Partying on every tour was a constant and the lack of care he showed even in the playoffs weighs too much on a man who has left through the back door of where he has been: the Thunder (the 2012 Finals are a distant memory...), Rockets, Nets... and, probably, the Sixers. Because this situation has no return. And with a toxic product like Harden, even less.