James Harden didn’t officially request a trade from the Nets until the trade deadline approached, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Harden reportedly FaceTimed Nets owner Joe Tsai and GM Sean Marks to express his desire to play for the Sixers instead of the Nets.
The nine-time All-Star was hesitant to request a trade for the second time in over a year due to public perception. Last January, Brooklyn acquired Harden from Houston in a blockbuster trade that included Jarrett Allen, Caris Lavert, four first-round picks and four pick-swaps.
According to ESPN, the Nets could sense Harden’s growing disinterest in continuing with the team in training camp. However, Brooklyn wouldn’t trade Harden unless he made his intentions to leave clear.
"Don’t believe any of the rumors," Harden reportedly told the team. "If there’s a problem, you’ll hear from me directly."
Instead, Harden leaned in on conversations with agents and executives outside the organization where he expressed interest in leaving. These reported conversations made their way back to the team, per ESPN.
Once Harden officially told the team his desire to move on, Tsai and Marks told Harden that they wouldn’t trade him unless they felt comfortable with the return, according to ESPN. The two sides agreed, and the team held Harden out of games until the deadline passed. He spent that time in Houston instead of with the team on the road.
From there, Brooklyn worked out a deal around Harden for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.
Harden is not expected to make his Sixers debut until next week due to a recurring hamstring injury.
