Sixers remove James Harden from the trade market

It’s deja vu in Philadelphia.

In a situation reminiscent of the Ben Simmons saga two seasons ago, a team source confirmed to the athletic that the Sixers have decided to end trade talks about the disgruntled star james harden and now they are planning for him to be in training camp by the end of next month. However, as Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey knows well, the prospect of mending this fractured relationship between Harden and the organization he no longer wants to play for is not so simple.

Not even close.

Whatever signals the Sixers may send when it comes to trade talks, a source close to Harden reiterated that the 10-time All-Star and former MVP no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans to participate in training camp. Does that mean he won’t report if no deal is reached at that point, or does he make a messy show of his arrival at training camp like he did when he was trying to get out of Houston? in December 2020? That part remains unclear, with Harden’s side still expressing the belief that there will be significant developments on the trade talks front before that time comes. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

At the very least, this is clear: trade negotiations between Philadelphia and his favorite team, the Scissors, this summer they have clearly been stagnant. There’s no need for the Sixers to make a public proclamation like this if that wasn’t the case. But as always, there’s a human component here that will make these next seven weeks worth watching.

of his mentioned rockets Brooklyn rescue outing that followed, the team that refused to grant Harden’s trade wishes learned the hard way that he’s pretty good at staring contests. His discontent has been revealed in many ways these past few years, most famously with his party tour of Las Vegas and Atlanta before finally joining the Rockets’ training camp, and Harden has yet to acquiesce when a team has tried to convince him to change course. in a commercial application. The irony of the Simmons context, of course, is that Morey displayed his own penchant for stubbornness in that situation that lasted nearly six months before he was traded to the networks for Harden in February 2021.

As the athletic reported in mid-JulyRival executives have long been convinced Morey was trying to keep Harden in Philadelphia. Harden asked her out in late June, when her anger over how Morey handled his potential free agency led him to pick up the player option for next season (worth $35.6 million) at the same time he requested the trade.

how did morey do it said publicly, are acutely aware of the need to keep All-Star-level talent around big man Joel Embiid, and as a result, refuse to make a deal that leaves the reigning MVP in a worse position to challenge for a title. And make no mistake Embiid’s comments in mid-July hinting at his own possible departure someday were the sorts of things that underscored this sobering truth.

However, with Harden’s free agency now looming in the summer of 2024, he’s clearly hoping to get his wish before camp arrives. Even if the Sixers say it won’t happen.

ESPN first reported the news that the Sixers have ended trade talks for Harden.

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(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)