James Harden Breaks Silence on Trade Request With Cryptic Social Media Post

Harden reportedly asked the 76ers for a trade back in June, but he remains on the roster.

It’s been three weeks since James Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option for next season with the intent of getting traded away from the 76ers. While the former MVP remains on the team’s roster, he hasn’t spoken publicly on the issue since the reports of the trade request came out.

That is, until today—well, sort of.

Harden appeared to address the situation with the Sixers with a cryptic post on his Instagram story, where he shared an image of a black background with white text that simply read: “Been comfortable for so long. It’s time to get uncomfortable.”

"It's time to get uncomfortable."

James Harden's recent IG story 👀 pic.twitter.com/F5LQJvtlz9

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 20, 2023

It’s the second social media move of the week from Harden that appears to signal his impending departure from Philadelphia. On Wednesday, the 33-year-old removed all visible mentions of the Sixers from his Twitter and Instagram profiles. His Twitter bio now lists a link to @jhardenwines, while he previously had written “NBA Player for the Philadelphia 76ers.”

Harden’s relationship with team president Daryl Morey has been described as “fractured,” according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania. The pair’s alliance dates back to their time with the Rockets, where Harden made eight consecutive All-Star teams and led the league in scoring twice, winning the MVP award in 2018.