What did James Harden say now about Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers?
In yet another twist in the story that keeps on giving, the former 76ers guard has now claimed that his former team made a promise and then didn’t keep it.
If you followed any part of the James Harden vs 76ers saga, then you know that at no point was it pretty. Indeed, in what was arguably the biggest trade story of the summer, both camps went to war. Yet, now it seems the man at the middle of it all has given further insight as to what happened and why.
James Harden says Daryl Morey promised him a max contract
It’s been a little while since we heard anything from James Harden. Indeed, having finally got his move to the Los Angeles Clippers one could be forgiven for thinking that it was the end of a long-running standoff between the one-time MVP and his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Yet, according to reports, that’s not the case as Harden recently opened up about what went down between him and the franchise and it makes for interesting listening. As per reports, Harden recently claimed that Sixers president Daryl Morey, the man that he called a “liar”, told him that he would, in fact, receive a maximum-level contract.
To that end, Harden’s desire to leave - it appears - was based on the fact that he did not receive what he was told he would. Interestingly, Harden also went discuss how he “sacrificed so much” where his role and salary were concerned, an apparent reference to the significant pay cut that he took in an effort to help the team. It’s worth noting that the NBA went as far as to investigate the 76ers on the suspicion that there had been some kind of agreement between the two parties, something that would equate to salary cap avoidance. In the end, the franchise was not found guilty of any wrongdoing.
So, what now for James Harden?
Nothing. As much as Harden’s comments give us food for thought, we’ve only got his version of the story and quite frankly the whole scenario is in the past now. What is arguably more important is the state of his current team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the level of his performance since joining them. In the 14 games that he’s played so far, the 34-year-old has averaged 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, while the Clippers themselves sit on a 9–10 record for the season so far. Needless to say, those figures just aren’t good enough.