Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden publicly called out 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, saying that he is a “liar.”
Harden also made it clear that he does not want to be a part of the same organization as Morey, even though the guard opted into his player option with the Sixers for the 2023-24 season.
James Harden: “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.” pic.twitter.com/AmHJ0WwbF2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2023
Harden’s comments seem to show that he wants a trade from the organization, something that hasn’t materialized yet this offseason. This wouldn’t be the first time that Harden has asked out from a team, as he’s been traded by the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets in recent seasons after being unhappy at those destinations.
People around the NBA reacted to Harden’s comments on social media, some in disbelief that these comments were made publicly.
Had to check 15 times if this was the real Shams https://t.co/LpwNP6my4U
— NBA University (@NBA_University) August 14, 2023
lol good morning
“Okay kids, now let’s go to our layup stations with coach James and have some fun!!” https://t.co/wKPqbZlpvO
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) August 14, 2023
Legendary big man Kevin Garnett was among those who chimed in.
🤣 Damn! Good morn, happy Monday y’all https://t.co/jF41TZPCMy pic.twitter.com/igjC41Vyi9
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) August 14, 2023
The move by Harden is an interesting one considering that he could have opted out of his contract to test free agency this offseason. Instead, he decided to take the one year of guaranteed money, giving a lot of power to Philly about his next destination.
You probably shouldn’t have picked up your player option then! https://t.co/dPlf753kPz
— Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) August 14, 2023
We’re not treating it this way because lol it’s James Harden he’s old and he chokes in the playoffs, but this is the most brazen quote in player empowerment history.
He’s threatening not to fulfill a contractual obligation he chose to make in lieu of free agency SIX WEEKS AGO. https://t.co/e7onjDYGVp
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) August 14, 2023
re-writing the trade demand playbook one season at a time https://t.co/a2OQJY3KlB
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) August 14, 2023
It’s unclear if Morey and Harden had some kind of agreement prior to the guard opting into his deal. If they did, that could be a reason for why Harden is calling Morey a “liar.”
Morey saw that 9 point game 7 performance and pulled that max deal off the table https://t.co/meUvY90Tng
— The Anonymous Nobody (@el_budget) August 14, 2023
Harden’s comments certainly make the rest of the offseason much more interesting for Philly. The team likely plans on contending for a title, but it may now need to move one of its best players to salvage team chemistry.
It’s also possible that Harden refuses to play for the organization.
During the 2022-23 season, the 10-time All-Star averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
While Harden is no longer the same player that he was when he won an MVP award with the Rockets, he still has been effective for the Sixers and could help a team that needs a lead playmaker.
It will be interesting to see how the Harden situation unfolds the rest of this offseason.
