“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. 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.”
Those words from James Harden have led the NBA to launch an inquiry into what Harden believes Morey was lying about and if it was the promise or insinuation of a larger contract to come during last year’s contract negotiations, reports Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. If Harden was told a larger contract was coming, that would be a violation of the CBA the NBA would take very seriously, however, Harden could have been referring to his trade demand (or something else entirely).
The 76ers did engage a number of teams in Harden trade talks this offseason — including Harden’s preferred destination of the Los Angeles Clippers — league sources told NBC Sports. However, the demand for Harden at the high trade price Morey was asking for him was not strong. Harden entering his contract’s final year at $35.6 million added to teams’ concerns.
What Morey wants most in a trade is a lot of first-round draft picks, reports Vincent Goodwill at Yahoo Sports, which the 76ers president could flip into a running mate to go with Joel Embiid, or use for a rebuild if a frustrated Embiid decides to push his way out of Philly in the next year (something that is not happening right now but other teams are monitoring, thinking it could happen). The Clippers can offer a couple of first-round picks and pick swaps. Whatever Morey is asking other teams are coming nowhere near that price, so the 76ers called off the talks (for now).
None of that violates the CBA.
What would violate the CBA is the promise or insinuation of a larger contract down the line if Harden took a pay cut a year ago. Last summer, Harden took a $14.4 million contract haircut, which opened the door to the 76ers signing P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, as well as trading for De’Anthony Melton. The NBA investigated that situation and found Morey and the 76ers tampered with Tucker and House (by contacting them early), but said nothing of the Harden contract. That tampering cost the 76ers two second-round picks, a light slap on the wrist.
If the league had found a promise or an insinuation of a future contract for Harden during that investigation, it would have come down much harder on the 76ers. While Harden believes he was promised a larger contract (and may have been), proving that happened can be another matter. The 76ers organization has denied any such contract was ever discussed or hinted at during the talks.
The 76ers continue to steam toward a potential showdown at the start of training camp where Harden either doesn’t show up due to a holdout, or shows up and is a disruptive force for a team that sees itself as a title contender (and would be with a healthy and focused Harden). The NBA’s inquiry is just another layer to this situation.
