Philadelphia is hot.
James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers shot Daryl Morey, president, at an event held in China on the 14th (hereafter Korean time).스포츠토토
President Daryl Morey and James Harden, who had a relationship since their days in Houston, were called NBA best friends. However, in the course of the off-season, it seems that the relationship between the two has completely changed.
After qualifying as a free agent last season, Harden re-signed with Philadelphia for two years and $68 million. Considering the size of the contracts for the Harden class players, it means that they managed a huge pay cut. There were various opinions among fans about this, but Harden’s will to win was strong.
Philadelphia, which took the salary cap margin with Harden’s concession, reinforced its strength more leisurely. The problem arose in the transfer market this year, a year later. Harden, who was eligible for a player option, wanted to renew a long-term contract with Philadelphia after opting out.
However, Philadelphia’s stance was different from what Harden wanted. Harden, who had conceded first for the team, had expectations of a large contract, but the team did not intend to offer a contract at the level Harden desired. Harden, who felt that the team did not keep its promise, asked the team for a trade after opting in, revealing his will to leave the team outright.
Philadelphia accepted Harden’s trade request, but has been unable to find anyone to satisfy their request. The Clippers, which Harden wanted as a destination, also put out a card that felt insufficient to see Harden’s opposite pay. In that situation, reports came out that Philadelphia was planning to drop trade discussions and join Harden in training camp.
However, Harden has no intention of joining training camp as Philadelphia wants. At this rate, even if he plays in the regular season, it is difficult to see that he will do his best 100%. ‘The Athletic’ says Harden believes Morey has betrayed him and lied about a new contract or trade.
At the event, Harden said, “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will not play for his team.” Then, “I’ll say it again, Daryl Morey is a liar and I can’t be a member of his team.” emphasized again.
It is not uncommon for a player to leave such strong sniper remarks towards the club front. It means that there is a big crack in the relationship between Harden and the Philadelphia club. Harden expressed his intention that he would never remain on the team.
Another point that draws attention as the situation goes to the extreme is the behavior of Joel Embiid, the MVP of the regular season last season. Embiid, who actively communicates with the club front and is deeply involved in management, left a comment saying that he wants Harden to stay.
Embiid, who is one of the most active on social media among NBA players, deleted the phrase related to the Philadelphia team from the SNS introduction section after Harden’s bombshell remarks came out. It is difficult to accurately grasp his intentions, but since the situation is a situation, it is becoming a topic of conversation just by deleting the phrase.
Veteran Philadelphia forward PJ Tucker showed his support for Harden by posting a picture of him with the caption, “I will not betray my brother.” Tucker is a player who has been in harmony with Harden since his Houston days.
With bomb remarks coming out, Philadelphia fans have no choice but to recall the nightmare of the ‘Ben Simmons stoppage controversy’ that took place just two years ago. Philadelphia, which is trying to win the championship after rebuilding through the most extreme tanking in league history, is not smooth.
How will the ending of the drama be? Depending on Harden’s move, another heavyweight player, Embiid, may also change.