James Harden is welcomed to return to Sixers by teammate Tyrese Maxey in spite of his recent trade demand and criticism of exec Daryl Morey: ‘If he comes back, nobody would be upset’

James Harden is welcome to return to the Philadelphia 76ers this season in spite of his deteriorating relationship with the front office, according to backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey.

‘I love James,’ Maxey said on his Maxey on the Mic podcast. ‘If James decided he’s going to come back and play for us, there’s nobody in this organization that would be upset about that.’

Harden has been at odds with the 76ers front office and Daryl Morey, the team’s president of basketball operations who acquired the former MVP in a trade with Brooklyn in 2022. The two previously worked together in Houston for nine seasons and had a productive relationship in Philadelphia until this summer, when the Sixers decided against offering him a long-term deal.

Without that long-term commitment, Harden and the Sixers agreed that if he picked up his $36 million player option for the 2023-24 season, the team would try to trade him, according to ESPN. But when that didn’t happen, Harden publicly slammed Morey as a ‘liar.’

‘Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,’ Harden said at an Adidas media event in China earlier this month. ‘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.’

Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey has not found a trade partner for James Harden

Harden was subsequently fined $100,000 by the NBA for ‘indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.’

The players’ union (NBPA) now intends to file a grievance on Harden’s behalf.

And while the friction between Harden and the Sixers may surprise some, as Maxey explained on his podcast, Philadelphia’s players aren’t exactly shocked.

‘It’s crazy to say this, but it’s not our first rodeo, honestly,’ Maxey said.

‘That’s funny to say, but that’s life. James is his own individual and he’s able to do whatever he pleases,’ he concluded. ‘I’m preparing right now to play with him or without him.’

Harden played well for the Sixers in his first full season with the team in 2022-23.

His scoring was down five points a game from his 25.6 career average, which is understandable since he was playing alongside high-scoring MVP, Joel Embiid. More importantly, Harden averaged 10.4 assists per game (third best mark of his career) while draining an impressive 38.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.