Getty Image / Tim Nwachukwu
Soon after the Philadelphia 76ers ended trade talks for James Harden, the veteran guard decided he no longer wants to play in Philly.
In fact, James Harden is going as far as to claim he won’t even participate in training camp.
According to Sam Amick, James Harden is is continuing to stir the pot, putting the 76ers in a tough position at this point in the offseason.
James Harden 'no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans of taking part in training camp,' per @sam_amick
76ers ended trade talks earlier today 😳 pic.twitter.com/GRGcLQsvix
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 13, 2023
It’s not clear what kind of trade offers Philadelphia was receiving for Harden. But clearly the front office didn’t like the potential return they were seeing in the market.
At this point in time, James Harden’s future is a bit murky. Nobody seems interested in acquiring him via trade and the 76ers seem more interested in keeping him than anything else.
With that said, Harden seems adamant he won’t be participating in the 76ers training camp. That’s not an ideal situation for Philly at all.
Considering the situation, Harden’s agent is doing his best to build a market for his client.
According to Swish Cultures and NBA Central, James Harden’s agent believes Harden will “come into next season in the best shape of his career and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the MVP conversation.”
James Harden’s agent expects Harden to come into next season in the best shape of his career and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the MVP conversation 👀
(Via @swishcultures_ / h/t @hooparj ) pic.twitter.com/BoSlDeUBlq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 13, 2023
That’s quite the bold claim, but it’s not that shocking to hear his agent hyping him up like that either.
At the end of the day, James Harden wants out of Philadelphia, but a trade market has to become relevant for the 76ers to deal him. Luckily, we’re still semi-early in the offseason and trade partner could come to fruition as the regular season apporaches.