NBA, rags fly between James Harden and 76ers

The 76ers would have closed to any possible trade

From bad to worse. Relations between the 76ers’ top brass and Harden have never been colder. The Beard’s desire to be traded has not, at least for the moment, been accepted by the 76ers’ management, which seems determined to take one last shot at the Harden-Embiid duo to try to win an NBA ring. So, no trade involving the Beard.

The 1989 class All Star would not have taken well at all the decision of the 76ers (strong with one year of contract still guaranteed with Harden) to keep him at all costs. According to ESPN, the former OKC, Houston and Brooklyn man might not even show up at the team’s training camp so as to reiterate his decision to leave Philadelphia at all costs (in his plans apparently there is being able to play in his hometown Los Angeles with the Clippers).

This is not entirely new for the 76ers, who recently experienced a similar situation with Simmons–a bitter tug-of-war that eventually led to Simmons’ farewell with the arrival, ironically enough, of Harden himself in Philadelphia. Not the best way to prepare for next season. Already Embiid, fresh off his MVP title, had made it known that he was not happy with the way things were going in the 76ers household. What will he think now?