What is Daryl Morey's relationship with James Harden? Exploring 76ers GM and superstar's interaction over the years amidst trade saga
Daryl Morey and James Harden have been one of the NBA's power couples for over a decade. The pairing of Morey and Harden first came together during their time with the Houston Rockets - when Harden was becoming a genuine superstar in the league and one of the greatest scorers the NBA had ever seen.
Throughout their time together in Texas, Harden and Morey oversaw a period of sustained contention, where the Rockets continually found ways to re-tool their roster with new star talent to complement Harden's undoubted skill. However, the partnership between Morey and Harden never ended in any championship banners - as Morey couldn't strike the right balance of talent, youth, and veteran leadership to put the Houston Rockets over the top.
Eventually, things went south, and Harden forced his way to the Brooklyn Nets. Things didn't get much better for the former MVP in Brooklyn, and just over a year later, he was forcing his way out of yet another franchise - this time to team back up with Morey on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Last summer, Harden took a team-friendly discount on his latest contract so that Morey and the Sixers had additional cap space to fill out their roster in the hopes of Harden and Joel Embiid leading them to a championship. Unfortunately, Harden's sacrifice went without reward, as the Sixers were eliminated from the postseason in the second round of the Eastern Conference.
That's when things began to fall apart between Morey and Harden. Over the summer, Morey tried to play hardball with Harden regarding a new contract - leading the former MVP to feel aggrieved after helping out the franchise the year prior.
James Harden calls out Daryl Morey
In a recent video clip that went viral on social media, James Harden can be seen branding Daryl Morey as a liar and noting how he will never play for a franchise that Morey is a part of again.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of," Harden said. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
Harden's words can be construed in two different ways. On one hand, Harden could be issuing an ultimatum to the Philadelphia 76ers, where they either keep him or Morey, but not both. Or, Harden's latest comments could be his way of forcing his way out of the franchise as he bids to team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the LA Clippers.
Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks and months, the fallout between Harden and Morey is one of the biggest falls from grace for any power couple in NBA history.