Over the last few weeks, James Harden has made it clear that he has no desire to play for the 76ers next season, despite team president Daryl Morey believing that he can keep the 10-time All-Star in Philadelphia.
In June, Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option for next season, signaling that he wanted to part ways from the franchise and end his tenure of playing with reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid. While reports have surfaced that the 33-year-old wants to play for the Clippers next season, NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady does not understand why Harden would depart Philadelphia and potentially lower his chance to compete for an NBA title.
In a recent GQ Sports interview with Howard Beck, McGrady said Harden wanting out of Philadelphia “makes zero sense.”
“I don’t understand for the life of me what James Harden is doing,” McGrady told GQ. “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 bullshit that is going on that we don't know about.
“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.”
Since Harden has made it known that he wants out of the 76ers’ organization, he has removed everything Philadelphia related from his Instagram and Twitter profiles. He also posted a cryptic message insinuating that he desires something different than what he currently has in the City of Brotherly Love.
