The James Harden Saga Should be a Lesson for Every NBA Team
Philadelphia, PA (PSF) —The James Harden situation seems to still be without a solution, as of now.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the former MVP, 10x all-star, and 7x All-NBA Guard reported to Philadelphia with the intent to rejoin the team and play. Then, it was later revealed by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that the 76ers sent him away and asked him not to travel with the team.
The implications of this report are vast. Harden initially reported to training camp in order to avoid being a distraction, but the tense aura and clear dissatisfaction ended with Harden leaving camp and ending up in Houston. Many wondered what the cause was, whether he left of his own volition, and whether the 76ers sent him home.
Now, we have a definitive answer as to whether or not the 76ers would welcome James Harden back if he decided to play.
Harden has always been known as a volatile figure. Blessed with enormous basketball talent, but unsure if he was ever fully committed to the game, he has seen his fair share of drama at every stop of his basketball career.
At the end of his tenure in Oklahoma City, he was unhappy due to his role, and wanted a bigger opportunity somewhere else.
At the end of his tenure in Houston, the world found out how he was constantly coddled there, with the effort levels being at an all-time-low once he was traded.
At the end of his tenure in Brooklyn, Harden publicly voiced his frustration with his Nets tenure and that the team was “dysfunctional”.
And now, as the end of his tenure in Philadelphia looms, drama has followed James Harden once again.
As Harden stated when he reported to camp, he allegedly wanted to retire a Sixer and spend the rest of his career there.
Harden seemed happy at one moment, and then unhappy the next. After an obvious discrepancy in Philadelphia’s future plans and Harden’s he requested a trade. Daryl Morey, the 76ers’ GM, gave his word that he’d honor that trade request.
Only, he didn’t.
Now, we’re here. And every other NBA team could definitely learn from this mess of a situation.
The NBA as a league is unique in that the players have lots of influence and say in what their franchises do. More than any other league, players display their frustration with their franchises, request trades, and openly share personal & team information. It’s a tumultuous business, and the best teams in the league are the ones who have shown they can navigate it effectively.
Regardless of the team, however, the lesson that teams can learn is they need to be careful and strategic with how they deal with their most “influential” players.
Front Offices must make the pivotal decision to prioritize upholding their guarantees with stars and working to meet the needs of star players with a lot of influence, or they must decide that the Star’s future trajectory does not align with their franchise’s and move on before the trajectories clash.
Indecisiveness is a killer in this league. Daryl Morey’s indecisiveness when looking to trade options including Harden only enabled this drama to continue and spiral even further. The Sixers know they mishandled it, and maybe chose to send Harden home to dull the consequences of their mismanagement.
Harden’s volatility is a red flag for any franchise as well, and has been for years. If you knew he wasn’t going to fit into the future plans of the Sixers, why did you trade for him in the first place? Or if his playoff performance was off putting, communicate with that player so there is some transparency between the front office and the player.
Now, that’s not to say Harden is not at fault either. He was extremely inconsistent in the playoffs, and the Sixers were better off without him on the floor in terms of +/— (-5.1 per 100 possessions). Questions about his commitment and character followed him to Philadelphia, and his inconsistent play frustrated both the fans and the organization. Deeply rooted in what he believes in, and inflexible about second-chances, Harden’s response when asked if the relationship with the front office was a simple “no”.
The Sixers’ inability to commit to Harden and Harden’s inconsistent play created a marriage that was doomed to fail.
For every Franchise, if you are sure about a star, commit to him and accommodate their needs and suggestions, because with the NBA’s culture, if you don’t do that, you’ll create a discrepancy between the star and the front office. If the front office feels like the star is too much trouble for what he is worth or their inputs and desires are unattainable, trade him to another franchise that may be able to provide that for him or simply move that problem somewhere else. Eliminating distractions is one of the most effective things an NBA Franchise can do, since these kinds of distractions can seemingly have huge implications and negative consequences on Franchises (See: Jordan Poole, Draymond Green, and The Warriors).
As I said earlier, the situation remains unresolved. It will likely remained unresolved for a while. Shams Charania believes at some point, Harden will be traded, and with that, this dramatic saga will end.
That trade can’t come soon enough.
