James Harden has finally landed in LA in one of the most dramatic trade deals this year. While the Los Angeles Clippers got a good playmaker in Harden, there were other people who were impacted by the trade as well, including Danny Green of the Philadelphia 76ers, who was waived by the franchise after the deal. In the latest episode of ‘Inside the Green Room’, Danny Green revealed the conversation that happened between him and Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations for the 76ers, before he was waived.
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Interestingly, the former 76ers small forward had just landed in Philadelphia. He was just about to finish his unpacking and was in the process of helping his family settle in the new place. It was at that moment that he got a call from Morey. While it must have been a little frustrating for Green, he did “appreciate [Morey] calling and reaching out and showing respect.”
There is no doubt that Green is the ‘innocent collateral damage’ in this chaos involving the Beard. However, his appreciation for the management, as well as his understanding of the business side of things, surely reflects his maturity. Green took the news calmly and explained the whole conversation,
“I got the call from Daryl [Morey]…He said there was a trade that was made. They got more players than they sent out and unfortunately, they have to waive somebody, and my contract was the one that needed to be waived. And this is even more unfortunate as I’m 90% done unpacking my stuff.”
This is not the first time that Green has been waived, the Houston Rockets also did the same last season. Though the NBA is ruthless when it comes to business, Green holds no grudges, even after taking a pay cut for being with the team.
Danny Green took a pay cut for Philadelphia, only to get waived
As revealed by the NBA Insider Chris Haynes, Danny Green took a pay cut, reducing his debut game bonus from $500,000 to $200,000 to lower the tax of the 76ers and help them build better for the season. Keeping this in sight, the news of him being waived from the franchise might have stung the small forward.
However, following the 3-time NBA champion’s reaction, it seems the relationship between the management and Green is still cordial. As per sources, there are chances that the SF might return to the roster once they have an empty spot.
Averaging 8 PPG, Green does have to do more if he hopes for “some teams to take interest” in him. Though it’s never a good feeling to be waived, at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, and in order to make a championship-winning team, every piece has to be placed strategically.
