The Sixers have apparently stopped dangling James Harden before potential trade partners, and the 10-time All-Star isn’t happy. He conveyed his intent to change his address anew early last month, and had, since then, already set his mind to leaving the red, white, and blue. It didn’t matter that he just came off a relatively productive season in which he led the National Basketball Association in assists, and that he seemed to form a potent combination with Most Valuable Player awardee Joel Embiid. His mind was made up; as far as he was concerned, he needed a fresh start elsewhere.
To be sure, the Sixers spent the last four weeks trying to accede to Harden’s request. They even went so far as to engage in talks with the Clippers, for whom he preferred to burn rubber. However, they did so with a clear mandate to claim assets of equal value in exchange — an iffy proposition under any circumstance, and certainly made even more difficult by his notorious predilection for wanderlust. For those with even a modicum of interest in his services, why bother to dangle talents for him on a dollar-for-dollar basis when he isn’t certain to stay?
Whether Harden has cause to pout is subject to debate. He agreed to a cap-friendly two-year contract with a player option last year, purportedly with an eye towards subsequently getting a max deal. In the interim, however, the Sixers soured on giving him an extension on his terms, hence the fractured relationship. And with no takers for him at their price, they now expect him to keep plying his trade for them with optimum effort. Which is to say the prognosis isn’t good: The Rockets and Nets know how badly the story will end.
If the grapevine is to be believed, Harden will not even be showing up at training camp. Forget that he’s still in the employ of the Sixers, and that, as a professional angling to be seen in a favorable light, he would do well to put his best foot forward despite his disappointment. That said, general manager Daryl Morey has ample reason to cut cleanly as soon as possible in order to avoid disaster. Among other things, Embiid isn’t about to let yet another chance for glory be wasted, and may well get fed up to the point of demanding a trade. In other words, addition by subtraction holds immense appeal, even with seemingly diminished returns.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
