James Harden has been fined by the NBA over his recent public criticism of Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Harden has been fined $100,000 for his comments about Morey. The fine stems from Harden saying he would never play for a team with which Morey is associated again.
The NBA has officially assessed a $100,000 fine to James Harden for calling Sixers president Daryl Morey “a liar” … with the league ruling that Harden’s comments did constitute unauthorized public discussion of a trade demand. pic.twitter.com/QHZ3ZmYV0o
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 22, 2023
You can see the video of Harden’s comments here.
Harden did not go into detail about why he called Morey a liar, but the comments led to an NBA investigation. Harden reportedly told the league that his comments stemmed from Morey telling Harden the former MVP would be traded “quickly” after Harden exercised his player option for the 2023-24 season.
Harden opted out of his $47 million player option last offseason and signed a new two-year deal with the Sixers. He took what amounted to a $15 million pay cut when you consider what he would have gotten with a max contract. One theory was that Morey assured Harden last year that he would be rewarded for his selflessness with a max contract 12 months down the road. Many believed that is why Harden called Morey a “liar.”
If Morey did make a contractual promise to Harden, that could have left the Sixers open to discipline from the NBA, according to a recent report.
The Sixers looked into trading Harden after Harden exercised his player option and asked to be moved. The team then decided to call off trade talks, likely because Morey felt he was receiving only low-ball offers.
One report said Harden has no intention of showing up to training camp, but his plans may have changed for a couple of reasons.
