Regarding the whole Harden-Daryl saga that is going on, Michael Lombardi, a former General Manager and three-time Super Bowl-winning NFL executive tweeted, “As an executive, you can never lie to players or make promises you cannot fulfill. Once that occurs, it’s over and there is no way out. Harden took less, expecting more the next year–and now it’s a mess. No PR propaganda will save them now.”
This tweet by Lombardi came, after James Harden expressed his views about the president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden called Daryl a “liar” at a recent press event in China with Adidas basketball — shortly after the Sixers ended trade talks with the disgruntled star.
Well, after being asked: “What do you think about the current team claiming to end trade talks and trying to bring you back to the team?”
“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” stated Harden.
The 10-time All-Star said he isn’t interested in staying with Philadelphia if Morey is there, and that he no longer wants to play for the Sixers and has no plans of joining the training camp.
Meanwhile, the 76ers had conversations with the Clippers, which is Harden’s desired destination, but a deal never materialized.
Philadelphia’s asking price was steep, and no teams, including the Clippers, were willing to meet it.
And now, Harden is furious with the Sixers for taking a pay cut last season and being left in the dark throughout this offseason.
Harden took a $15 million pay cut in July 2022 and declined his $47.4 million player option with the 76ers to sign a $33 million deal for the 2022-23 campaign.
He was upset at how the Sixers handled his potential free agency, and he made that clear to the organization. Despite the situation, the Sixers are determined to make things work with Harden.
As of now, it remains unclear as to how this unfolds further.
