James Harden Has "No Plans" Of Participating In Training Camp, Despite 76ers Ending Trade Talks

BYCole BlakePublished on August 13, 20233.4K Views

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on February 27, 2022 in New York City. Philadelphia 76ers won 125-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

James Harden is serious about wanting out of Philadelphia.

James Harden reportedly doesn't intend to participate in training camp for the 76ers, despite the team deciding not to trade him. According to a new report from The Athletic, Harden remains adamant about his time in Philadelphia coming to a close before the start of next season.

"No matter what signals the Sixers might send when it comes to trade talks, a source close to Harden reiterated that the 10-time All-Star and former MVP no longer wants to play for Philadelphia and has no plans of taking part in training camp," Sam Amick of The Athletic writes.

James Harden Protests A Call During The NBA Playoffs

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 11: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts to a play against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 11, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

The report continues: "Does that mean he won’t report if a deal doesn’t go down by that point, or that he’ll make a messy spectacle of his training camp arrival like he did when he was trying to get out of Houston back in December of 2020? That part remains unclear, with Harden’s side still expressing a belief that there will be meaningful developments on the trade talk front before that time comes. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation."

The 76ers initially agreed to search for a trade partner for Harden when he signed his $35.6 million player option in June. Unfortunately for both sides, it seems they were able to find a suitable deal. If Harden does return, he'll be back to playing alongside MVP-winning center Joel Embiid. Despite sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, they failed to make it passed the Boston Celtics in the second round. As a result, the team fired head coach Doc Rivers, who had been with the organization since 2020.

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About The Author

Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.