Andre Iguodala Defends James Harden Amid Drama-Filled Offseason

Former 76ers standout Andre Iguodala recently offered his thoughts on James Harden's situation with the 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in another drama-filled offseason in 2023. Just two summers following the Ben Simmons saga, which played out well into the 2021-2022 NBA season, the Sixers have been encouraged to trade away James Harden after he picked up his player option for the 2022-2023 NBA season.

Talks were had on the trade front between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sixers. With both teams’ view of Harden’s value on a different scale, they couldn’t get a deal done. Once the Sixers accepted that Los Angeles wasn’t going to meet the asking price, they shut down talks, which led to Harden calling out the team’s President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey.

Harden’s comments regarding Morey created curiosity in the league office. As he labeled Morey a “liar,” the NBA felt they needed to get involved to get a better understanding of the comment.

When Harden fired off his statement, many recalled one of the multiple investigations the NBA put together against the Sixers last season. Along with the tampering allegations, the NBA attempted to look into a possible “wink-wink” deal between Harden and the Sixers, as it was alleged that Philly might've offered an off-the-books deal to Harden, with plans to later reward him after taking a pay cut.

Although the Sixers were found guilty of tampering, the “wink-wink” theory was proven to be incorrect as the NBA found no wrongdoing on the organization and player’s behalf. However, that didn’t prevent the masses from jumping back to conclusions, and assuming Harden’s comments alluded to the idea that he was promised a contract that never came ahead of the 2023 free agency period.

After a short-lived investigation, the NBA once again found no wrongdoing on the Sixers’ end in their eyes. As Harden reportedly clarified his comments by noting that his “liar” comment was more about the Sixers’ decision not to trade him when he felt he was led to believe he would be moved before training camp, the ten-time All-Star ended up getting hit with a punishment from the league.

Harden was charged with a $100,000 fine, according to a press release. The fine was due to “public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”

Shortly after Harden was issued a fine, the NBPA responded with a statement of their own, noting that a grievance would be filed, leading to the matter being heard by an arbitrator. “We respectfully disagree with the league’s decision to discipline James Harden comments he made, which we believe do not violate the rule against public trade demands,” the statement read.

Recently, former 76ers standout Andre Iguodala argued that the team should receive a fine for the situation as well, stating his case to another former 76er, JJ Redick.

“Players… We only got but a window. I went too far on teamwork and it eventually reared its head and my career was shortened because I went team-first. We all have that, we’ve gotta survive. Teams should be fined then as well when that player is fined. When James goes and makes these comments and James is fined, we all know they changed the rules on when you can start negotiating with players before free agency because everybody had their deal done before free agency. We all know that James was told, ‘You’re going to get this deal, hush-hush, under the table.’ I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened, James didn’t tell me this. It’s always an assumption. The team can say it was an assumption. What did James do wrong to get fined? He said, ‘I was lied to.’ If I lie to you, I’m a liar in that moment, that may not be a liar, but I was liar in that five seconds. So yes, James Harden made a true statement. So, why would he get fined? I would prefer the team should be fined five million dollars. Come on now. We can’t prove it, but that happened. That’s where I get upset.”

Iguodala seems to remain under the belief that Harden’s comments run deeper than the league was led to believe when they launched the quick investigation back in August. But as he highlights in his thoughts, the NBA previously couldn’t prove any wrongdoing by the Sixers, and that remains the case, which leaves punishment for the organization currently out of the question.

Where Harden and the Sixers are headed in late September is currently unclear. With training camp around the corner, Harden reportedly still desires a trade — specifically to the Los Angeles Clippers. With Harden’s value still low, the Sixers don’t have any incentive to move him at this time. 

Will the ten-time All-Star show up for Sixers training camp when October rolls around? That remains one of the biggest question marks heading into the new basketball season. With the situation still unresolved at this time, all eyes will remain on Philadelphia as the new season approaches.