Kendrick Perkins: 'NBA Doesn't Need' Rockets Ex James Harden

NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins believes Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden "has everything to lose."

Former Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden decided to accept his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this offseason, but all signs have pointed to a trade away from the Sixers.

The Harden departure request stems from his poor relationship with Sixers president Daryl Morey, who he recently called a "liar."

This isn't the first time that Harden has wanted to leave a team, as he had drama with the Rockets in 2020 and the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins explained that Harden's constant drama with current and former teams puts a massive chip on his shoulder for the future.

“James Harden has everything to lose and if he's not careful, he could possibly be out of the league after next year," Perkins said during ESPN's Wednesday's edition of NBA Today. "You can't trust him, he's been disgruntled for the last 4-out-of-5 years with the Rockets, the (Brooklyn) Nets and now the Philadelphia 76ers."

Harden is one of the few players on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team that hasn't won a ring. The nearly 34-year-old (Aug. 26) is still among the league's best, but he missed the All-Star game for the first time since 2011-12 last season.

Perkins believes that the 10-time All-Star's potentially slight decline in 2022-23 is a good enough reason for teams to stop pursuing him.

"The NBA doesn't need him," Perkins said. "They move on from old superstars and have a bunch of young superstars coming in every single year that could replace him. The league moves on."

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You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.

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