James Harden isn’t one to easily let bygones be bygones.
Although James Harden’s wish to join the Los Angeles Clippers has been granted, it doesn’t mean that all is forgiven between him and Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Harden has not had any communication with Morey for several months and has conveyed his firm intent to maintain that silence indefinitely.
The trade marks the culmination of a tumultuous offseason, during which headlines were dominated by the strained relationship between Harden and Morey. Harden went as far as publicly labeling the president of basketball operations a “liar” and asserting his refusal to play for a team under Morey’s leadership:
The history between the two is long and intertwined, having been associated during their tenure with the Houston Rockets before Morey acquired Harden for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nonetheless, it’s evident that their rapport has been severely damaged, and Harden touched upon the theme of broken trust when speaking to reporters last month. He noted, “This is not just about this situation; it’s about life. When you lose trust in someone, it’s akin to a shattered marriage.”
Shelburne provided additional context, revealing that Harden believed the 76ers were only willing to offer him a two-year contract with a player option if he didn’t opt into his $35.6 million option in the previous offseason. He also doubted the 76ers’ assurances of a better offer in the future, which prompted him to exercise his final-year option and request a trade.
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The trade didn’t materialize during the entire offseason, leading to the “liar” comments and Harden’s absence from the team’s preseason activities. Nevertheless, he has now been traded to the Clippers, along with P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev, in exchange for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, and a 2029 pick swap.
Furthermore, the Clippers facilitated a 2027 first-round pick swap with the Oklahoma City Thunder, enabling OKC to send a protected 2026 first-round pick to the 76ers. This means that Philadelphia will need to rely even more on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey if they aspire to contend with teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
As for the Clippers, their roster boasts notable star power in the form of Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, although all of them are in their 30s and potentially past their prime. Whether they can unite and vie for a championship remains uncertain, but one thing’s for sure: Harden won’t be extending a call to Morey to celebrate any potential success.
