Appearing on SportsCenter on Tuesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the Sixers may take the same approach to James Harden‘s trade request that they did to Ben Simmons‘ in 2021. In other words, the team will exercise patience waiting for the right deal to materialize, hoping in the meantime that its star guard will eventually have a change of heart about his desire to leave Philadelphia.
“If it was up to the Sixers, they would get James Harden enthusiastic about playing next season with the Sixers,” Wojnarowski said. “… The Sixers have been talking to teams about trades for James Harden (but) their asking price is really high.”
As Wojarowski points out, Harden has a better relationship with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey than Simmons did with the team leaders in Philadelphia. However, the 76ers’ apparent unwillingness to put a lucrative, long-term contract offer on the table for Harden has created some discontent.
“There’s a lot of work that’s gotta be done with Harden before he’s really enthusiastic about a return there,” Wojnarowski said.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Unlike the 76ers with Harden, the Trail Blazers are under no illusions that they’ll be able to convince Damian Lillard to continue his career in Portland, Wojnarowski said during an NBA Today appearance on Wednesday (YouTube link). “I think both sides realize that this is over,” Wojnarowski said. “This is not a situation necessarily where the Blazers are trying to talk Damian Lillard back in.”
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps said on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday that he’s not expecting the Lillard situation to be resolved in the short-term future, noting that the Trail Blazers will want to take plenty of time to sort through all their options and get the best possible return. “I think we’re in for a bit of a wait,” Bontemps said (YouTube link). “That’s because we are on Portland Trail Blazers time.”
- The Knicks‘ offseason feels somewhat incomplete, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who suggests the team could still have a move to make on the trade market. League sources tell Katz that the Knicks have contacted multiple teams this summer in search of a veteran in his prime who would fit the current roster.
- While the Knicks may still have a trade up their sleeves, it doesn’t sound like it will be for Clippers forward Paul George. New York was linked to George earlier in the offseason, but Alan Hahn of ESPN Radio and MSG Network said on the Bart & Hahn podcast (Twitter audio link) that the Knicks deemed it too “expensive” to both acquire George and give him the extension he’s believed to be seeking.
Harden can sit on his can and refuse to play, or he can ‘quiet quit’ like a millionaire crybaby while Philly waits for an offer. Either way he either loses pay or lowers his market value. I think someone needs to stand up to this nonsense and Philly, having been the victim of it twice, should be the one to end the madness. You signed the contract, you honor the contract. Othersise get sued into bankruptcy.
So sick of these spoiled brat players who have no interest in N anything but an extra dollar. Best way to b fit back is to make their dollars disappear with legal action and continual delays so the legal bilks pile up. This has gone far enough.
Don’t be like this guy
Harden gave up an opportunity to make more money for the “good” of the team last off-season and he sacrificed his own numbers to help get Embiid an MVP. He trusted Morey to make good on an unspoken promise and Morey screwed him. I can’t blame the guy for wanting out of there.
I’m not a fan of the person and always thought he was overrated but I was somewhat happy when Simmons got some of the money the 76ers owed him. They still wormed their way out of paying him his full salary when they signed a contract that covers both physical and mental ailments.
The 76ers have no grounds to sue him if he “quiet quits” because he’s if he does play that’s what they agreed too when the 76ers signed the contract.
With the exception of a few like Joe Lacob the owners will do anything to weasel their way out of paying these guys.
If he quiet quits at this point in his career, teams will wonder if it is that, or if he is just losing his skills. If he holds out, they actually can just not pay him. Simmons got paid in advance, but I don’t see anything about Harden getting paid up front. He needs to honor his contract, period. This trade demand nonsense after opting in is a violation of the spirit if not the letter of the CBA.
Two points, your argument is ludicrous and your spelling is atrocious.
Says the guy whose name is misspelled
Innotsorryisaidthattoyourass, should be
Imnotsorryisaidthattoyourass
LOL @ You
The agents have infinitely more to do with this than any player…
Having a bad day?
So let me get this right ….
“However, the 76ers’ apparent unwillingness to put a lucrative, long-term contract offer on the table for Harden has created some discontent.“
Harden is pissed cause he’s making
$35, 600,000.00 this yr. Apparently he feels he deserves a long term deal. I wouldn’t pay him 20 million. He’s a 1way player. Who doesn’t show up in playoffs.
Should have fired Moreyon first ……
Harden saw cryrie get over 40 per when he has only been available half the time and has the most baggage. As much as I don’t like crybabies making lifetimes of $ in 1 season and whining, it still isn’t enough to stop the nonsense. Next cba there needs to be mutual no trade clauses so there aren’t more kd, cryrie, Beal, AD diva stars forcing trades to teams they can even pick to be traded to now with multiple seasons left under contract. At least before players would say they won’t sign an extension and then could force trades. Now they want traded with 4 seasons left. Don’t sign long extensions and be a diva pick one or the other.
No thanks to PG13. Come on Rose wake TFU. DeM DeR is there. He’s right there. You won’t have to give up any of your core players. Same age as George……
Get it done ……….. please
No.
Yeah I am surprised more people/teams aren’t interested in DD. I would love to swap him for Harden or Harris. Nice scoring punch and an expiring contract to boot.
If I understand correctly, Harden did Morey a solid and took less money last year with the understanding that he’d receive a fat extension this off-season. I’m not sure what, if anything, was promised to Harden last year, but if that’s true, who in their right mind would want to play in Philly as long as Morey is there? I feel like this situation is going to have an impact when trying to sell players on joining Philly.
Yeah, this was the consensus when Harden signed for a lower deal … that they had a sort of handshake for an upcoming extension.
I don’t think players will have any issues since if they are paying enough, I’m sure they’ll sign with PHI. It’s just that I doubt any player or agent will ever give Morey the benefit of the doubt in the future.
The ‘wink-wink’ violations of the CBA also need to stop…So not disagreeing that if this was a silent promise it will hurt Morey, but the silent promise is technically illegal.
Harden didn’t wink at anything. Agents drive this ….
He signed for less. So they could pay his partner PJ ….. cause he wanted PJ in Philly. He got what he wanted. Philly doesn’t owe squat …… run away ….. run run
take Morris and Powell from Clippers …. Stop the madness ….
I assume Harden and Lillard can’t be convinced to swap cities? It seems a logical solution except for the fact neither has expressed an interest in the others city.
It should be done. For the Sixers it makes all the sense in the world. As for Portland, it’s not too bad, either. As for the players, Harden can look for his bearded brother Sasquatch while Dame drops hogies with Gritty.
Yeah that’s an intelligent take. Dame for Harden …….. makes so much NONsense
Yeah Harden for Lillard. Who says no to that?
If I were Nets I’d like to trade the Australian’s stock to Blazers for Lillard
Proposal
Nets get Lillard, Nurkic
Blazers get Australian’s stock, Dinwiddie, 5 Firsts
4 real players involve only
You are now on the concussion protocol list.
Just now? He’s been on for a very long time. If this was the NFL he would of been forcibly benched by the league years ago…
However, the 76ers’ apparent unwillingness to put a lucrative, long-term contract offer on the table for Harden has created some discontent.
Who the hell in their right mind is going to sign Harden to a max or even lucrative 4 year deal?
Not even Houston, who Harden put the word out was going to sign him. Huh. They could have traded for him into cap space on Day 1 of FA if they actually wanted him, so we know how real that ‘rumor’ was and who stated it. Harden has shown not only that he is dishonest but that he is a poor gambler.
His play really wasn’t that spectacular
He was good and at tmes brilliant, but he could also be pedestrian
Morey is so overrated, should be ruining fantasy teams instead of actual nba franchises.
This is just a thought. Could Philly get Dame and keep Harden while also keeping Tobias
Definitely. But I don’t think they want to give up Embid.
Karma. Morey and Harden deserve each other. Harden is in PHI now because he Loud Quit on BKN. Harden made it clear that absent a trade to PHI (only), he really has no idea when his legs would feel well enough to play again, and in the interim he planned to explore the outer reaches of the team’s buffett. Marks, at least, suspected that PHI (Morey) was acting in concert with Harden (and his agent) on this. The conspirators lucked out when Tsai wimped out, and gave in to the trade demand.
Free Agency’s Death Bed: As Lillard continues to double down on his demand that he be traded to MIA and only MIA, it’s now clear that every other team in the league has an interest in POR NOT trading Lillard to MIA. It’s sort of the last threshold that’s yet to be cleared in the ongoing process whereby trade demands are replacing free agency as the method by which stars change teams. The star’s ability to pick his precise team. Even UFAs don’t get that right fully, as their destination team needs cap space or has to engage in a S&T.
There could be a four team deal where picks/Morris/salary fillers go to portland harden to clippers lillard to Miami and hero to philly. Maybe Philly also gets Norman Powell.
Harden for PG
I just don’t see a team being desperate enough to risk it…
But it only takes one…
Lillard to LAC might make sense. I would love to see him in Houston, but there is no way he goes to a young team. He wants a championship and most contenders are maxed out with their cap space. It would take a huge contract to match Lillard contract. I wound say Denver, but I doubt they could offer anything that Portland would want. Other ideas could be Chicago, Memphis, and Toronto. If Lillard takes a cut in pay, Miami, LAL, and maybe Golden State would like him. I doubt he wants to take a cut in pay. Who would?
After July 6. I would be on the phones ….. no I would fly to LA. Talk to their FO and Ballmer. And find a way to make a Harden trade work ……..
Morris and Powell works financially. I would beg them to take PJ with Harden.
Gladly take Westbrook …… or Covington.
Philly move on …… stop the madness
I’d love to see the Celtics with Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and Lillard. Is that even feasible?
Thankfully not!
All of them would produce mediocre numbers playing together.
The inmates are running the asylum!