James Harden entire 76ers situation explored as NBA star reportedly remains in Houston while missing practice
As the complicated situation between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers continues, it raises concerns about how things will develop over the course of the upcoming season. Be that as it may, this wasn't the case the first time he got in Philadelphia. Back then, championship expectations were through the roof upon his arrival with the elite pairing alongside 2023 MVP Joel Embiid.
According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fishcer, the Sixers guard is currently staying in Houston and skipping out on team practice with the Sixers. This news comes after the previous days with his teammates and 76ers coach Nick Nurse talking about Harden's professional approach when it comes to working out with his team.
After talking about "controlling what he can control," as per Yahoo Sports' Ky Carlin, it seems that the two-time MVP is still unpleased with Daryl Morey and the 76ers organization.
So how did the two parties' relationship become so sour? This article will take a look at James Harden's situation with Daryl Morey and the Sixers.
Exploring James Harden's entire situation with the Philadelphia 76ers
Looking back at how it all started, it was a great move from the President of Basketball Operations for the Sixers, Daryl Morey, to land Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. They already had a good foundation in working together dating back to the Houston Rockets.
At the time, Morey was in his sixth season as the Rockets general manager when he signed Harden to a huge five-year extension $80 million, as per The Sporting News' Gilbert McGregor. However, Morey retired from his position with the Rockets and ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers, momentarily putting a break on their working relationship.
It was until Feb. 15, 2022, that the two officially worked together once again with the goal of bringing a championship to the city of Philadelphia. Harden then signed a two-year $68.6 million contract, as per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The expectations were immense for the team with the one-two-punch tandem of James Harden and Joel Embiid, however, the team has remained in a second-round hump after coming up short yet again in the 2023 playoffs.
During the offseason, Harden decided to pick up his $35.6 million contract option after taking a pay cut of $15 million from the previous 2022-23 season. This was a move done in agreement from both parties that the Sixers' front office would work out a proper trade out of Philadelphia for Harden.
According to the Athletic's Shams Charania, Harden named the Los Angeles Clippers as his preferred destination. Unfortunately, a finalized deal never came into play, leading to a frustrated James Harden calling Daryl Morey a "liar" on a promotional tour in China with Adidas.
During NBA Media Day, the Sixers star remained absent, which wasn't much of a surprise following the tension that transpired throughout the offseason.
Despite reporting to training camp a few days ago, Harden skipped today's team practice. This raises more questions about where the situation is heading.