James Harden is still a member of the Philadelphia 76ers despite the fact that he really does not want to be there. Prior to the start of the NBA’s free agency period this summer, Harden picked up the player option for the final year of his contract and requested a trade, with the Los Angeles Clippers being his preferred destination.
That deal just has not materialized, nor has any other potential deal with one of the other 28 teams in the league. Harden doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation for how he carries himself when he wants to leave a team, but in the eyes of his former coach in Philly, his best course of action is to put his head down and go to work. During an appearance on NBA Today, Malika Andrews asked Doc Rivers what he advice he’d give to Harden as he prepares to enter this year.
"Just play, and it will work out. James [Harden] is a terrific player… He's in a tough spot. It's hard to walk back all the things that have been said."
Doc Rivers' advice to Harden 🗣
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/uXTCjcvw7l
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 11, 2023
“Just play and it’ll work out,” Rivers said. “James is a terrific player, and if he has to go to Philadelphia, clearly that’s not the situation that he wants to be in going by what he has said. Just got and play, be a pro, and I think it’ll all work out.
“But he’s in a tough spot,” Rivers continued. “We all know that. It’s hard to walk back all the things that have been said. It’s a tough situation for him, but I think he’ll be able to get through it.”
Rivers, of course, was Harden’s coach for the entirety of his tenure in Philadelphia until he was fired this offseason and replaced by Nick Nurse — it was reported that Harden did not want to play for Rivers anymore. Rivers, who admitted that coaching Harden was “challenging,” is now an analyst for ESPN and will join Mike Breen and Doris Burke in the broadcast booth.
