Why James Harden’s reunion with Daryl Morey in Philadelphia went south and
what’s next in their looming divorce

為甚麼Harden與Morey在費城的重聚失敗了且他們分手後會發生甚麼?

作者:Sam Amick(須付費)

http://psce.pw/4zv5qe

James Harden’s days in Philadelphia are unofficially over, with the Sixers
star deciding on Thursday to opt into the $35.6 million option on his
contract for next season en route to asking for a trade, as The Athletic’s
Shams Charania first reported.

According to sources directly involved in the situation on both sides, the
Los Angeles native wants to play for the Clippers and the Sixers are already
in the process of discussing his desired move. Harden is, according to
sources close to him, extremely upset at the way in which the Sixers handled
his possible free agency and has made his dissatisfaction clear to the
organization.

James Harden在費城的日子非正式的結束了，這名76人球星星期四決定執行他36.5M的球員
選項以作為他要求交易的手段。

根據與雙方直接的消息源，這位洛杉磯人想要為快艇打球且76人已經進入為了他想去的隊
伍討論的過程。Harden對於76人如何處理他有可能的自由球員市場非常不滿意且明白的向
該球團表示他的不滿。

While it seems likely that he’ll land with the Clippers, it remains to be
seen whether his longtime basketball partner, Sixers president of basketball
operations Daryl Morey, will grant this unexpected wish. Sources say,
however, that there is strong optimism on Harden’s side that it will indeed
happen. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are said to be on board with the
idea of Harden potentially joining their core, according to sources.

Even with the playoff frustrations, and the challenge of sharing the
spotlight with someone as dynamic and dominant as reigning MVP Joel Embiid,
there was a sense around the league that the chance to contend for his first
title again might be enough to bring Harden back. Moreover, many believed
that the late-May hiring of Nick Nurse to replace Doc Rivers as coach would
lead to Harden re-signing. But in the end, sources involved in the matter
say, it was a series of silent Sixers signals sent in recent weeks that
compelled Harden to pursue that goal elsewhere yet again.

雖然看起來他應該會加入快艇，但這仍取決於他長期的籃球夥伴--76人籃球營運總裁Daryl
Morey是否要滿足他意料外的意向。但是，Harden的陣營對此情形的發生高度的樂觀。
Kawhi Leonard與Paul George將會是他即將要加入的核心。

即使因為季後賽的挫折以及與非常活躍且具有統治力的MVP Joel Embiid分享鎂光燈的挑戰
，聯盟仍有種感覺認為能再次爭奪冠軍足以使Harden回歸。此外，許多人相信五月底雇用
Nick Nurse來取代Doc Rivers作為總教練將能說服Harden續約。但到最後，最近幾周這一
系列76人的沉默信號迫使Harden要去其他地方追尋他的目標。

When Harden decided to take a significant pay cut nearly a year ago,
declining his $47.4 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers to sign
a one-plus-one deal in which he would be paid $33 million for the 2022-23
campaign, there was a widespread belief that it was a classic case of quid
pro quo. Harden would give some money back as a way of helping the Sixers
fill out their roster, thereby inching them even closer to a title that has
eluded the franchise since 1983 and Harden for his entire professional career
(circa 2009). And in the following offseason, many presumed, the 10-time
All-Star and former MVP would be handsomely rewarded with a contract more
befitting of his future Hall of Fame talents.

If Harden chose to leave, perhaps rejoining the Houston Rockets franchise
where Morey brought him to town via trade from Oklahoma City in 2012 and
where Harden was widely known to be strongly considering a return, that would
be one thing. But Morey and the Sixers surely would make it clear that they
wanted him back in a big — and expensive — way this time around. Right?

As it turned out, that league-wide expectation was wildly wrong.

當Harden去年決定要大幅度減薪並拒絕他的47.4M球員選項來簽下一個1+1的33M合約時，普
遍被認為這是個經典的交換條件。Harden願意放棄一部分的薪水來幫助76人補強並追逐76
人自1983年後就再也碰不到的冠軍，也是Harden自2009年整個生涯都在追逐的目標。而在
下一個休賽季許多人認為這位10次明星賽的前MVP將會簽下與他名人堂身價相符的高薪合約
。

如果Harden選擇離開，或許是重新加入Morey於2012年從奧克拉荷馬交易他來也是他被流傳
強烈考量回歸的休士頓火箭，這是其中一個可能。但Morey與76人理論上應該要想以一筆又
大又高薪的合約來讓他回歸。

對吧?

結果是，整個聯盟的預期嚴重的錯了。

While free agency doesn’t officially begin until Friday evening, a player of
Harden’s caliber could typically expect to have some clarity about the
incumbent franchise’s intentions long before that time arrives. But in
recent weeks and days, sources say, all indications on Harden’s side pointed
to the Sixers forcing him to test the market before they would make an offer
of any kind. The understandable concern for Harden, sources say, was that
Philadelphia was preparing to offer him the kind of short-term, team-friendly
contract that wouldn’t come close to reflecting his stature in the league or
the level of his current play (he averaged 21 points, a league-leading 10.7
assists and 6.1 rebounds in the regular season; 20.3 points, 8.3 assists and
6.2 rebounds in 11 postseason games). Harden, who hired Troy Payne, Mike
Silverman and Brandon Grier of Equity Basketball to be his agents in February
after going more than five years without full-time representation, had no
interest in being put in that compromised negotiating position. And it would
only grow worse as free agency neared.

Sources say the Rockets — with a first-year coach in Ime Udoka, a cadre of
young prospects and $64 million in salary cap space to spend — had already
chosen not to pursue Harden in free agency in recent weeks and thus
eliminated another of his top options. As so many suspected long ago, when
the league-wide chatter about Harden heading back to the rebuilding Rockets
was growing louder by the month, the fit was ultimately deemed incongruous.
There is still no shortage of love for Harden and his game among Rockets
officials, with owner Tilman Fertitta, his son and liaison Patrick, and
general manager Rafael Stone chief among that group, but the choice was made
to take a pass on another Harden chapter.

雖然自由市場直到星期五晚上前都還沒開始，但各隊對於Harden這種等級的球星留隊的意
向在開始前通常都早就已經理解了。但近幾周，76人要求James Harden去自由市場測試身
價，而這期間他們不會開給Harden任何報價。而Harden陣營合理認為，76人想要強迫
Harden簽下一紙只對76人有利的短約。而這完全無法反應Harden現在的身價(他場均21分、
聯盟最高的10.7助攻與6.1籃板。季後賽11場也有20.3分8.3助攻6.2籃板)。Harden在二月
雇用了Equity籃球經紀公司的Troy Payne、Mike Silverman與Brandon Grier來當他的經紀
人並結束了他過去五年沒有經紀人且無意與球隊磋商的情形。但雇用了經紀人只讓他的自
由市場更加地接近了。

內線指出，剛雇用Ime Udoka作為新教練、擁有一大票年輕球員與64M薪資空間的火箭，已
經選擇不會在自由市場追逐Harden並清除了Harden的第一目標。與許多人懷疑的一樣，當
Harden回歸重建隊火箭的流言滿天飛時，這個仍然是不協調的。但火箭管理層仍然對
Harden的球風充滿愛意(因為老闆Tilman Fertitta、他兒子同時也是聯絡人的 Patrick和
GM Rafael Stone仍然在火箭領導)，但他們選擇不將Harden帶入球隊的下一階段。

Harden had serious interest in a pre-Bradley Beal trade to the Phoenix Suns
too, with his old friend Kevin Durant known to be in favor of the possible
reunion. Harden, who went from L.A. to Arizona State en route to the NBA and
still owns a house in the Phoenix area, considers the region a third home of
sorts and was excited by the notion of heading to the Valley of the Sun. But
the Sixers never engaged with the Suns regarding a possible deal, and the
Beal trade with Washington emerged.

Harden was losing leverage by the day. Sources say Morey, meanwhile, insisted
that he was choosing not to discuss free agency before it was permitted by
league rules, in large part because of the price that the Sixers paid for
doing so previously. And in a most ironic twist, his reasoning was rooted in
the moves that Philadelphia had been able to make because of Harden’s choice
to take a pay cut last offseason.

Harden在Bradley Beal交易至太陽之前對太陽有強烈的興趣，因為他的老朋友Kevin
Durant廣為人知的希望他們可以重逢。Harden雖然是LA人但他在亞利桑那州立大學就讀以
作為他進入NBA的管道且他在鳳凰城區域仍然有房子，他也將這區域視為他第三個家且對於
可以去太陽感到興奮。然而76人從未與太陽聯絡以討論可能的交易，然後Beal從華盛頓被
送到太陽的交易就發生了。

Harden失去了談判上的優勢。Morey同時堅持不在自由市場開始前談論自由市場，因為76人
曾經因此受到懲罰。最諷刺的是，他上次被罰就是因為他們提前說了Harden上一季休賽季
減薪的那起事件。

Just eight months ago, the NBA announced that the Sixers had engaged in
premature free agency discussions with P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr.
before their signings last summer. As a result, they were docked second-round
picks in 2023 and 2024. The league’s investigation, it should be noted, also
determined that there was no wrongdoing found relating to Harden’s choice to
pass on the $15 million of savings to the Sixers.

No matter the reasoning, Morey’s choice to keep Harden and his camp in the
dark regarding the Sixers’ plans had everything to do with Harden’s choice
to ask out. And as Morey knows perhaps better than anyone, the prospect of
keeping Harden against his wishes — as the Rockets and Brooklyn Nets can
attest — is unpleasant at best and untenable at worst. A deal with the
Clippers may be the only way to salvage this messy situation.

僅僅八個月前，NBA宣布76人去年夏天提前非法接觸自由球員PJ Tucker與Danuel House Jr
。而作為結果，76人被罰了23與24年的二輪選秀權。聯盟的調查也指出Harden減薪15M的決
定並沒有違反規定的成分。

但無論如何，Morey選擇對Harden與其團隊對76人的計畫保持沉默。Morey或許比任何人都
清楚，留下不情願打球的Harden--火箭與籃網可以同感--最好情況是不愉快最糟情況是無
法維持的。或許與快艇的交易是能解決這個混亂情況的唯一方式。


心得:

看完文章

與大部分人覺得的不一樣

其實比較像是76人對Harden不義

跟Riley對Wade的情況比較相似

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※ 編輯: EZ78 (71.232.216.168 美國), 06/30/2023 19:40:30