Few players are valued for their talent as highly as James Edward Harden, a standout in the NBA who earned the league MVP honor in 2018, finished as the top scorer in three seasons (2018, 2019, 2020), and became a ten-time All-Star. He also claimed a place in the league’s best five on six occasions.
There are players whose careers have experienced as much upheaval as his.
The announcement of Harden leaving the Philadelphia 76ers and moving to the Los Angeles Clippers caused a seismic shift in the league, even with only a handful of games played. It marked another chapter in a career noted for contract disagreements and trade requests becoming recurring headlines in NBA circles.
Harden’s move marked a third team in as many years and a fifth club overall. The nickname the Beard fits a player seen as incredibly talented yet continuously unsettled, often perceived as unable to settle into a single system for long.
His departure ended a period of open conflict with the 76ers’ management. The general manager, Daryl Morey, had previously supported Harden, and the player later accused him of not offering a four-year, $210 million extension promised when Harden joined Philadelphia to bolster the roster. Harden chose to exercise a one-year option for the 35.4 million salary last June and requested a trade soon after.
open war
The dispute intensified during a promotional event in China, where Harden accused Morey of falsehoods and stated he would never play for an organization connected to him. The remark carried a $100,000 fine, and Harden further isolated himself during the pre-season, missing several training sessions. The stance appeared to be a full-blown rebellion.
Previously, managers in New York and other hubs believed they could manage Harden’s mood, only to discover that he would not back down, leading to the green light for the deal.
James Harden returned to his home area, joining the Clippers at the invitation of the organization to link up with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. The group would have to contend for a championship, supported by the additions of P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev as reinforcements. In return, Philadelphia sent Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, K.J. Martin, and multiple draft picks to complete the trade.
This move appeared to be Harden’s last-ditch attempt to win the coveted title he had often chased since breaking into the league. He had previously tried to add the ring in stops with Oklahoma City, Houston, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia, without sealing the prize.
Failed attempts
Harden exited Oklahoma City after a Finals run that saw Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka fall to the Miami Heat led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. He opted against a renewal offer worth 55 million over four years and chose Houston, where General Manager Daryl Morey bet on him becoming one of the league’s highest-paid stars.
With the Rockets, Harden reached star status and became a cornerstone of a franchise that made the playoffs for eight straight years and appeared in two conference finals, though the ultimate championship eluded them, stalling at the hands of the Warriors.
There were also dynamic questions about his fit with Chris Paul and the future of the potential superteam in Brooklyn alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Injuries and timing complicated those plans, and Harden found himself in a challenging cycle of trades and roster reshuffles.
His first season in New York saw him miss 21 of 24 games, and in the 2021-2022 season, Irving’s decision not to vaccinate against COVID-19 shortened that year’s Big Three era, limiting the trio to 16 games across two seasons. Harden asked for another trade in February 2022, and Philadelphia moved pieces in exchange for Ben Simmons and other assets.
In Philadelphia, Harden joined a tandem around Joel Embiid, but chemistry did not click perfectly, and the team exited the playoffs in the conference semifinals in consecutive seasons. The series against the Heat in 2021-22 and the Celtics the following year underscored ongoing challenges. Harden’s latest move back toward his hometown represented another attempt to reach the level of championship acclaim that has eluded him throughout his career. [Source: NBA]