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The most compelling storylines to come out of the ongoing NBA offseason have revolved around star players who’ve decided they want a change of scenery while still under contract with their current team.
That includes Damian Lillard, who has spent the past few weeks angling for a trade to the Heat after running out of patience with a Trail Blazers franchise he’d previously pledged his loyalty to on multiple occasions.
There’s also James Harden, who could’ve entered free agency but instead opted into an extension with the 76ers with the apparent understanding the team would begin reaching out to potential trade partners.
However, it appears he overestimated the market for his talents, and there’s been a fair amount of drama stemming from speculation Philadelphia isn’t particularly eager to orchestrate a transaction before the season gets underway.
If Harden does manage to find an out, he’ll be playing for his third team in as many seasons as he continues to seek the ring that’s evaded him since he was drafted by the Thunder in 2009. While he appears to think his prospects of winning a title will increase if he lands in one of his desired destinations, there’s one notable name who doesn’t seem to understand his thinking: Tracy McGrady.
McGrady recently chatted with GQ in a wide-ranging interview where he touched on a number of NBA stories that have recently made headlines, and he made it very clear he can’t fathom why Harden is so intent on leaving a 76ers team that boasts the defending MVP in the form of Joel Embiid, saying:
“I don’t understand for the life of me what James Harden is doing. Why are you trying to get out?
[Leaving Embiid] makes zero sense to me. Not only that, but I look at all the teammates he’s played with. James has probably played with more Hall of Famers than anybody in the league, and he doesn’t have a ring to show for it. I don’t know what he’s looking for.
And maybe there’s some internal bulls*** that is going on that we don’t know about. Because it doesn’t make any sense to me to leave the MVP, and the Eastern Conference, where you have a shot to at least play for a championship.
It’s got to be something deeper than what you know. Get over it, man.”
I guess we’ll just have to see how things pan out.