James Harden vows 'never' to return to Sixers as long as 'liar' Daryl Morey is there

In his most forceful language yet, three-time NBA scoring champion James Harden has made it crystal clear he doesn't want to return to the Philadelphia 76ers next season.

Speaking at an Adidas press event in China over the weekend, Harden blasted Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who reportedly has shut down trade talks involving the 10-time All-Star in hopes of having him return to the team.

When asked about the situation, former league MVP didn't mince words: "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."

Harden's comments were originally posted on the Chinese platform Weibo and later reposted by The Athletic's Shams Charania.

In June, Harden opted into the final season of his $35.6 million contract with the expectation that the Sixers would work to trade him to another squad − preferably the Los Angeles Clippers. But that hasn't yet happened.

A potential issue with a Harden trade is that he will become a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season, so any team acquiring him would have to work out a long-term extension or risk losing him after one year.

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Harden, a 10-time All-Star who will turn 34 later this month, averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds and a league-leading 10.7 assists last season, but came up short in the playoffs as the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.