According to Showtime’s Rachel Nichols, Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden’s trade demands stem from his desire to be the No. 1 option on a team again.
"He thinks he should be leading the show. The reason why he wanted out of Philadelphia in the first place is that it’s the Joel Embiid show right now," said Nichols.
Despite Nichols’ comments, Harden is the one who requested to be traded to the 76ers to join forces with Embiid and compete for an NBA Championship.
Harden has a case to be the No. 1 option on other teams, but not the 76ers, where Embiid was voted as last season’s Most Valuable Player. Embiid led the league in scoring, averaging 33.1 points per game to go with 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.
However, Harden is a former NBA MVP himself dating back to his days with the Houston Rockets. He has led the league in both scoring and assists at times throughout his career, showcasing his versatility and willingness to adapt.
Harden demanded to be traded this offseason after he and the 76ers could not come to terms on a long-term contract extension. He has been very outspoken about his desire to be traded to a new team despite opting into the final year of his contract.
He publicly criticized 76ers general manager Daryl Morey while on an Adidas media event in China, referring to Morey as a "liar" and vowing to "never be a part of an organization that he’s [Morey] a part of."
