James Harden‘s free agency has sparked discussions. Recently, he chose to stay in Philadelphia with a $35,640,000 player option. He has shown interest in joining the Los Angeles Clippers. This caused turmoil within the Philadelphia 76ers. The situation worsened when James Harden recently skipped his MVP teammate Joel Embiid‘s wedding to prioritize eating burgers.
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When traded to the 76ers in 2022, great expectations were set for Harden and Embiid. However, they failed to deliver in the playoffs, despite impressive regular season performances. Now, Harden is once again attempting to leave his current team and join a super-team, as he has done in the past.
James Harden Ditches Joel Embiid’s Wedding to Have Burgers
Joel Embiid and Anna De Paula got married last night, making it an auspicious occasion. All Sixers’ teammates attended the celebration, except for James Harden, who was nowhere to be found.
This absence has sparked speculation about the Sixers’ locker room situation. Adding to the concern, Harden shared an Instagram story of him enjoying burgers with friends at a club on the same day.
Harden really skipped Embiid’s wedding to eat burgers and go clubbing.. I give up💀 pic.twitter.com/QmwAzjQCFO
— CBain☀️ (@cbain100) July 23, 2023
The Sixers face a serious issue as their second-best player is not in tune with the rest of the roster. While everyone celebrated with Embiid, the face of the franchise, a trip to the club and taking photos breached trust among the players.
Harden pushing for a trade throughout the off-season makes this situation even worse. Given his history with trades, it won’t be surprising if he resorts to more actions to achieve his desires.
Daryl Morey Looking for Potential Returns
Daryl Morey, the President of the Philadelphia 76ers, has a strong relationship with James Harden from their time in Houston. Harden asked to be traded to the 76ers partly due to this connection. However, Morey is now forced to explore potential trades for the disgruntled star due to his behavior. He expressed this during an interview on 97.5 the Fanatic.
“James is a very good player, and right now, unfortunately, he does prefer to be somewhere else. I do have a long relationship with him. I’m attempting to honor that, but the reality is, if we do look at a trade, it’s going to be for one of two things. It’s either going to be for a player who continues to help us be right there like we were last year, up 3-2 on one of the best teams in the East, the Celtics. Obviously, we didn’t get it done, but James was a big part of why we got it to 3-2.”
It’s highly doubtful if Morey can achieve a comparable return because the crucial trade assets have already been taken. The situation worsens with Harden’s limited preference for the Clippers. Can the Sixers devise viable trades? Will they become championship contenders eventually? How will Joel Embiid factor in? These questions must be addressed for a shot at lifting the title next season.
