Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been a main topic of discussion this offseason amidst his ongoing feud with 76ers general manager Daryl Morey, which has left many people asking questions, including NBA Insider Bill Simmons:
Don’t know if Harden thought he was wink-wink promised a 76ers max deal last summer, but let’s say it’s true… then who leaked all the stuff on Xmas Day to ESPN that Harden was “STRONGLY CONSIDERING” a 2023 return to Houston? Why the 2 orders Col. Jessup?https://t.co/G8s0xvUomJ
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) August 16, 2023
If there was really a mutual understanding that the two sides would work together on a new contract extension after Harden agreed to take a team-friendly deal last offseason to help build a roster that can contend for an NBA Championship.
Given the two sides’ extensive history together, it was rumored that Harden left money on the table last season thinking that Morey would make it up to him with his next contract extension. Harden and Morey have worked together for roughly a decade dating back to their time with the Rockets.
As Simmons points out, if there really was ever any sort of unwritten agreement regarding Harden’s next contract with the 76ers, why was it being reported that he was “seriously considering” joining the Houston Rockets this offseason?
Harden opted into the final year of his contract after being unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the 76ers. Since then, he has requested a trade and publicly ousted Morey for not granting his wishes of a lucrative contract extension and/or trade.
Harden played a huge role in the team’s success last season, leading the NBA in assists per game (10.7).
However, the 76ers had yet another disappointing playoff performance, getting eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After
