Daryl Morey the Philadelphia 76ers general manager disclosed to ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ that James Harden would “rather be somewhere else’’, but said the team would only exchange him for a big-time player who would keep the Sixers as title contenders.
Harden chose to execute his 35.6 million dollar contract for the 2023-24 season before free agency, with the intention of being traded.
See – 12 prospective free agents to target in 2024.
His demand, according to NBA sources, is to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will form a brutal ‘Big Three’ squad with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Morey who was James Harden’s general manager for eight seasons at the Houston Rockets, said he is “trying to accommodate’’ Harden’s request, but only for the right price. “If we don’t get a very good player or someone we can turn into a very good player, then we just won’t do it,’’ he told The Fanatic.
“If James were to change his mind, we’d all be happy for him to stay. We’ve all heard his teammate Joel Embiid’s comments on that. But at this point, he’d prefer to be traded, and we’re trying to accommodate him,” is the official line.
Embiid also wants to leave the Sixers
Morey made his statements a day after a video of Embiid saying he wants to win a championship “whether it’s in Philadelphia or anywhere else’’ went viral. Philadelphia’s general manager highlighted the importance of ensuring the team stays competitive next season, no matter what happens.
“We need to make sure Joel Embiid, who is one of the best players in the land, has a top teammate,” He said. “We know we need more talent, whether it’s with James continuing or what we turn James into.”
Daryl also discussed a postseason where the 76ers lost three rotation players Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang, stating the team wants to maintain flexibility moving forward. Embiid and PJ Tucker are the only players with sure money in Philadelphia’s budget for the 2024-25 season.
“What we’re trying to do is have the best team possible this year, but also have the ability to be in an optimal situation next season, to be the team with the most amount of space under the salary cap,” Morey said.
