Every NBA fan was caught off guard recently when James Harden called Daryl Morey a liar during a public appearance. This happened two days after it was reported that the Sixers had ended trade talks involving The Beard.
With training camp just around the corner, it’s definitely going to be awkward in Philadelphia, which is not ideal for their NBA 2023 odds.
Elsewhere in the East, Ben Simmons is working his way back to full fitness and has gotten rave reviews, while Kristaps Porzingis – the prized summer acquisition of the Celtics – is reportedly dealing with a nagging injury.
Keep up to date with the latest NBA 2023 news by reading more below.
Harden launches Sixers tirade amid trade rumours
James Harden made it clear that he no longer wants to be associated with the Sixers after he ripped Sixers president Daryl Morey.
“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said during an Adidas event in China. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden is unhappy with Morey because he didn’t get what he was promised from the Sixers.
Harden took a significant discount last year with the hope of contending for the NBA championship, but that didn’t happen last season, as they flamed out of the second round against the Celtics.
And now he wants his new long-term deal, and the Sixers don’t want to give it to him, so instead, he activated his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season to soften the blow.
Philadelphia don’t want to give Harden a huge deal because there are valid concerns about his performance and potential decline, especially since he will turn 34 years old in just a few days.
During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists per game in the regular season. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 to beat the Celtics in the second round, but he went cold in Game 7, having scored only nine points.
The Sixers have been down this road before when Ben Simmons demanded a trade after his relationship with the organisation soured, which spilled through their training camp in 2021.
Since their ECSF Game 7 loss to the Hawks that year, Simmons never suited up for Philadelphia again, and he was traded for, you guessed it, Harden.
Simmons “close” to full strength
After missing the last two months of the 2022-23 regular season due to injury, it seems that Ben Simmons is getting back to normal. That is according to SNY’s Ian Begley, who said that the Australian international has “progressed to working on skills and conditioning” this summer.
And it seems that the others agree, as Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, has high expectations for him, while Nets teammate Cam Johnson is looking forward to playing with him in the upcoming season.
“The expectation is that he’ll be able to start the season on Day 1 of training camp and definitely the regular season without any limitations in any way,” said Lee in an interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio.
“He’s in a good place. He says it’s progressing, and he’s excited for the season. Looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table this year,” added Johnson.
Simmons only played 42 regular season games last season and averaged a career-low 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He had back surgery in May 2022 to address a herniated disk.
Since forcing his way out of Philadelphia, Simmons has yet to capture his old form. The hope for Brooklyn is that he stays healthy because he adds to their playmaking and defence.
Porzingis to skip the World Cup
Kristaps Porzingis was supposed to lead Latvia in the FIBA World Cup, which begins on August 25 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, but he posted on social media that he will no longer play due to a lingering plantar fasciitis issue.
The 28-year-old joined Boston via trade earlier this summer in a three-team deal that saw the Celtics part ways with fan-favourite Marcus Smart.
Porzingis has yet to play a game for the Celtics, and he’s already injured, which is a major concern if you’re a Boston fan like this SBOTOP writer since foot injuries typically don’t bode well for seven-footers.
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