James Harden told reporters on Tuesday that, prior to being traded from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets last season, his preferred destination was the Philadelphia 76ers, where he could join superstar center Joel Embiid and reunite with Daryl Morey, his former general manager.
It took a year for Harden's wish to be granted. Last week, the 10-time All-Star was part of a blockbuster trade that sent him to Philadelphia and disgruntled guard Ben Simmons to the Nets. And so Brooklyn's superstar trio of Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving lasted 13 months, and with a clear disconnect on and off the court, the Nets will need to find another way to win a title.
"For starters, I think that he didn't necessarily want to go to Brooklyn. And he said as much yesterday," Action Network insider Matt Moore told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Wednesday. "I think a number of things ran together. Kyrie and Durant put that team together and they've kind of constructed the whole thing... He didn't necessarily envision how it was going to play out there. I think he wasn't crazy about living in Brooklyn, for whatever reason.
"And then, ultimately, I think the Kyrie situation is what pushed him over the edge... [Harden] loves to play basketball, and wants to win a championship very badly -- he's the one of the three who hasn't. Trying to manage Kyrie's whole 'Basketball is art,' that whole thing, was a big reason why Harden was like, 'I don't think he's in. I'm not going to be here if this big of a key piece is not in on my level.' He knows Embiid wants to win that title."
During his introductory press conference, Harden said that Irving's part-time playing status -- due to his reluctance to comply with New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate -- had a "very minimal" role in his desire to leave the Nets. However, he did admit that Irving's situation "definitely" impacted the team. Due to injuries and pandemic issues, Harden, Irving, and Durant only played 16 games together.
Harden won't make his Sixers debut until after the All-Star break, as he's still recovering from a recent left hamstring injury. According to projections from FiveThirtyEight, Philadelphia currently has a 12-percent chance to reach the NBA Finals and a 5-percent chance to win its first title since 1983. If Harden exercises his $47.3 million player option for next season, he could receive a five-year, $270 million contract from the Sixers.
The entire NBA conversation between Miller and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
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