James Harden did not mince words with his recent comments against Daryl Morey. The Philadelphia 76ers guard needed no intermediary to relay how he was feeling; Harden no longer wants anything to do with the Sixers executive.
Danny Green, who was teammates with Harden on the Sixers last season, shared his thoughts on the drama during his Monday appearance on ESPN’s The Jump. Green admitted he was “shocked” to hear a star player like Harden call out his team president by name (video here). Green affirmed that he will “always side with the player.”
“I don’t think [James Harden] was wrong. If he was promised something, I think you need to come through with that promise,” Green said.
Green also said that he understands Morey’s side of the matter. The 2-time champion brought up the possibility that Morey’s “hands are tied” by the ownership group, which ultimately has the final say in such multi-million dollar decisions.
Harden signed a 2-year, $68.6 million contract with the Sixers in 2022 that included a player option in the second year. He has since opted in for the final year of his deal worth $35.6 million. While Harden did not expound on what Morey allegedly lied about, some speculate that it is about a promised future contract as a reward for the former MVP taking a significant pay cut to re-sign with the Sixers last offseason.
The $15 million pay cut from Harden even drew suspicion from around the league at the time for potentially being an under-the-table deal.
Harden is reportedly not planning to participate in Sixers training camp, which could pose some serious complications for both the player and team.
