On October 5, 2023, with the start of the new season training camp, the teams are already in a state of readiness. However, the Philadelphia 76ers are in trouble, and the attitude of core guard James Harden is in the spotlight. Harden has been at odds with the 76ers throughout the offseason, making early trade requests due to contractual and other grievances. However, because the 76ers have not been able to trade him, Harden's conflict with management has become more intense. Harden was even absent at the 76ers media day event in protest. Returning to the 76ers after a pay cut, he knew his embarrassment and this time he decided to fight for himself.
During the 76ers media day, Harden updated his personal social account and posted a photo of himself in Houston, which sparked a heated debate. Most believe Harden's move is putting pressure on 76ers management to be traded at short notice. Some media outlets said that while Harden may return to 76ers' training camp, he may take a negative approach to training, forcing the 76ers to have to trade him. However, things don't seem to be moving that way. Shortly after training camp began, Harden quickly returned to Philadelphia and quickly integrated into the 76ers training team.
Contrary to expectations, Harden not only has a good attitude, but also looks very good physically. According to 76ers coach Nick Nas, Harden looks in great form, has been involved in most of the training sessions, and is in excellent physical condition. Nas said Harden will continue to participate in other training sessions with the team, possibly even in the preseason, and Harden will also travel to Boston with the team. Teammate Tobias Harris felt Harden's positive attitude: "We're all adults, he's here to solve a lot of problems, and his attitude and energy makes everyone understand that he wants to come here and compete with us and get the job done." Harris said Harden was not as disrespectful to the team and teammates as rumored to be. He showed enough professionalism and didn't disrespect any of his teammates. So speculative reports about Harden's attitude can be set aside. Harden has accepted the reality of returning to the 76ers with a pay cut, not jumping ship to sign a higher contract, and not being traded after the pay cut. Harden accepted reality and didn't mess around in training camp, which is clearly wise.
Harden came to understand that his conflict with the 76ers general manager had nothing to do with his teammates. His current value has hit rock bottom, and only the Clippers are interested in him, but the Clippers are reluctant to pay Harden for future assets, including first-round picks and young players. The root cause of all this is Harden's unprofessional attitude over the years, he has repeatedly had disputes with his old club, and the teams he left, including the Rockets and Nets, have basically disbanded and entered the rebuild. Other teams interested in Harden must also consider the consequences.
In addition, Harden's own competitive form has declined compared to the Rockets and Nets, which is a key reason for his decline in value. If Harden continues to embarrass the 76ers, not only will he be fined, but these farces will also become part of his resume and negatively affect the end of his career. Harden's best course of action is to accept reality, participate professionally in team training, and try to adjust to the best form possible. While that's what the 76ers want to see, Harden actually did it for himself.
From the perspective of competing for the championship, frankly, the 76ers have little chance. They are behind the Celtics and Bucks in roster strength and mentally inferior to teams like the Heat. Now, the Bucks have brought in Lillard, the Greens have acquired Porzingis and Holladay, and the 76ers seem to have just picked up players on base-salary signings in free agency. Their strength is getting bigger and bigger compared to the Bucks and Green Army. Overall, if Harden can't be traded to the Clippers, his chances of competing for a championship in the new season will be slim. However, he also needs to think about his own future.