James Harden reveals the real reason why his relationship with Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey fell apart.
For the better part of the last decade, Daryl Morey and James Harden had been partnered at the hip. Beginning with their connection during their time with the Houston Rockets and continuing when they were reunited with the Philadelphia 76ers. They seemed to have a strong relationship. However, all that seemed to change during the offseason, when it was reported that Harden had demanded a trade away from the Sixers.
Initially, the entire truth wasn't out. And while there was some speculation of why Harden wanted a trade, it soon became apparent that his distaste with the Sixers was rooted in a fractured relationship between him and Morey. It got so bad during the offseason that Harden publically called Morey a "liar."
But the reason why the relationship between Harden and Morey fell apart was never completely revealed. Again, there was a whole lot of speculation without much substance. We may finally have that substance, straight from Harden's mouth.
In an exclusive interview with Sam Amick, Harden revealed that Morey had informed him he was going to get a max contract. But it never came. And that's when Harden realized that he needed to find his next course of action. In the end, he believed the best outcome for him was a trade.
Is James Harden or Daryl Morey more in the wrong?
Now that this is out of the bag, it's fair to debate which side might be in the wrong the most. Assuming this is the truth - and Morey may have a different story - would Harden or Morey be more in the wrong?
From an outside perspective, that could be a difficult question to answer. For one, is a general manager promising something similar when it comes to contracts something that happens more often than is reported?
If so, perhaps this is a bit of an overreaction from Harden. However, if these types of promises are usually seen through, you can make the argument that Harden has every right to be somewhat upset with how all this played out during the offseason.
In the end, a divorce between the two might've been coming either way. And perhaps what happened this offseason simply expedited that process.
Nevertheless, it's easy to see why Harden may have a bad taste in his mouth when it comes to Morey and the Sixers. It's hard to blame him entirely if what he's saying is indeed the truth.