The reason why future Hall-of-Famer James Harden called Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey a “liar” has been revealed.
Things are getting very ugly when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers and star guard James Harden. After a strong season where they were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for much of the campaign, a stunning collapse in the semifinals to the Boston Celtics has led to a wild deterioration of the relationship between the team and player.
With things already getting weird, the assumption was the 33-year-old would opt out of the final year of the discount contract he gave the organization last summer and go get one last max contract from a team that showered him with love. However, he surprised some by opting into the deal but then shocked the basketball world by immediately requestion a trade.
Various reports claim Harden only wants to be moved to the Los Angeles Clippers and that they may have the best available offer. There was little news that came out about trade discussions before they were unexpectedly ended and the belief from the 76ers was that they intended to hold on to the 10-time All-Star.
- James Harden stats (’22-’23): 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 10.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 39% 3PT
James Harden claims 76ers GM said he would trade him ‘quickly’ after opting-in
That led to a very public rebuke from the guard at an Addidas event in China where he called Morey a liar and claimed he would never play for the organization again. The NBA has since opened an investigation into the player’s accusation and now the source of the infamous comment has been revealed.
On Monday, The Athletic and Stadium NBA insider Shams Charania reported that “James Harden told league investigators he was referring to Daryl Morey telling him he will trade him ‘quickly’ following the $35.6 million opt-in for 2023-24.”
If true, it does seem like a harsh tactic to possibly trick James Harden into staying on the team at a cheaper rate. Unfortunately for Harden, NBA insider Marc Stein claimed last week “suggesting that Morey promised to trade him in late June after Harden picked up next season’s $35.6 million player option and then reneged on that promise, that is not a violation of league rules even if true.”
If he had made a contractual promise then that could lead to a possible punishment from the NBA.