(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
After it seemed like things were improving between superstar guard James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers, things took a turn for the worst on Wednesday, with the one-time NBA MVP deciding not to show up for practice.
At this point, it has become abundantly clear that the relationship between Harden and Daryl Morey will never be repaired, and that might also be the case for the veteran’s relationship with the team and his teammates in Philadelphia.
Harden has been a major distraction for this team throughout the entire summer ever since he decided to opt into the final year of his contract and immediately request to be traded.
Now things appear to have hit a boiling point, and it could prove costly for Harden, who might be on the hook for some hefty fines if he doesn’t show up to games from here on out, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN via Legion Hoops.
James Harden could be fined $389K for every preseason and regular season game missed “without the consent of the team”, per @BobbyMarks42.
Harden is also facing a $2500 fine for missing practice. pic.twitter.com/Q0d1ZbjJ0N
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 18, 2023
With as much money as Harden has made over the course of his NBA career, these fines likely won’t bother him to begin with, but they will when they start piling up.
It seems like it’s a waiting game between the two sides right now, with Harden waiting to get traded, preferably to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the team waiting on the best deal they can get.
Unfortunately for Harden, making things difficult on the 76ers isn’t a great look for teams that are potentially interested in trading for him, which might be very limited at this point.
That said, he may be doing the most damage to himself and his bank account moving forward rather than what the 76ers are expecting in return in any deal that gets made.
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