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Breakups
The Sixers and James Harden are so over
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James Harden and the 76ers decided to break up yesterday. It’s stunning news that will have a butterfly effect on the NBA free agent market, but I keep coming back to this one, small detail from the initial report:
The 76ers made it clear throughout the process that the franchise did not see a long-term future with Harden, sources said.
Oof. It’s a simple (and quite mature) move, but still brutal. Hey, we wanted to let you know as soon as possible that we don’t want you. Thanks. You never really want such clarity from a partner when they’re breaking up with you, right? But the Sixers left nothing to the imagination.
Harden will move on from Philly, two early playoff exits after he forced a trade from Brooklyn. Yesterday’s news was a little surprising too, because entering this offseason, we all thought it would be Harden leaving the Sixers — the Houston reunion was discussed often — and not the other way around.
- Where’s he heading? Late last night, Sam Amick published the definitive account of what went wrong between the…
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