Sports
James Harden's Twitter, IG Bios Removes 76ers Mentions amid NBA Trade Rumors – Bleacher Report
James Harden sent a not-so-subtle message to the Philadelphia 76ers on social media amid his ongoing standoff with the team.
The 10-time All-Star removed any mention of the Sixers from his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
James Harden has removed everything Sixers related from his bio on social media 👀 <a href="https://t.co/2HJWE3cMAe">pic.twitter.com/2HJWE3cMAe</a>
That same day, Harden wrote in an Instagram story that “it’s time to get uncomfortable.”
"It's time to get uncomfortable."<br><br>James Harden's recent IG story 👀 <a href="https://t.co/F5LQJvtlz9">pic.twitter.com/F5LQJvtlz9</a>
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey acknowledged the team is willing to move the 2017-18 MVP, albeit for a high price. Morey is looking to land either a player of Harden’s caliber or a haul of draft picks that can be flipped for a different star.
Harden effectively forced his way off the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets by making things untenable for those teams. He has displayed an ability to get “uncomfortable.”
The 33-year-old is on an expiring contract, though, and his value is probably as low as it’s ever been. Opting in to his $35.6 million salary for 2023-24 and requesting a trade rather than becoming a free agent outright seemed to signal his market wasn’t robust this summer.
Harden needs to have a big year in order to sign the kind of deal he’ll want next offseason.
In addition, ESPN’s Zach Lowe detailed how he may not be able to simply hold out in the same way Ben Simmons once did. If he voluntarily misses the first 30 days of the upcoming campaign, then he’d be prohibited from agreeing to a contract with any professional team without the approval of the Sixers.
The stipulation is outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.
Especially in the NBA, stars typically enjoy a lot of leverage during an impasse over money or a trade request. Harden might be an exception in this case because the Sixers hold a lot of the cards.
