Only a year and a half ago, James Harden got what he wanted as he left the Brooklyn Nets for the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, The Beard is once again making headlines as he reportedly wants to be traded for the 2023-24 NBA season.
Needless to say, this situation is far from great for the Sixers, who hoped that the 10x All-Star would help Joel Embiid win a championship. Without Harden, their title chances would be much lower.
Despite the team’s intentions to change his mind, the 33-year-old seems to have had enough in the City of Brotherly Love as he is understood to be keen on joining the Los Angeles Clippers. However, Daryl Morey recently made something clear for Harden.
Daryl Morey warns Harden Sixers will take their time
“Look, James is a Hall of Famer, one of the best players offensively to ever do it,” Morey said in an appearance on The Anthony Gargano Show on 97.5 The Fanatic, via ClutchPoints.
“So, for us, it’s pretty different [than the Ben Simmons situation]. All I know is that we either are gonna move him for a player that helps us win now, we’re gonna get assets that allow us to go get a good player in the short term or we’re gonna continue to wait and continue to look for other players like a Maxey and a Joel to take a step forward in that situation.”
In short, while Morey said they will try to grant Harden’s wish, the team will not rush to do so. Instead, the Sixers will only let him go once they have what they want in return. If not, they’re willing to wait as long as necessary.
