Being a star who changes teams so frequently is often viewed as a negative in the NBA. Although James Harden spent a large chunk of his career with the Houston Rockets, he’s changed teams four times since forcing his way out of Texas.
Many have called him disloyal. In Harden’s eyes, the loyalty narrative isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
"The whole 'loyalty' thing, I think it's overrated," Harden told reporters on Wednesday night. "I think this is a business at the end of the day, and there's a lot of money involved, and a lot of decisions that have to be made."
Harden has famously taken pay cuts following his MVP years with the Rockets, just to be rewarded with short-term deals. He would later explain that part of his frustrations with the Philadelphia 76ers was due to the fact that he took a discounted contract with the idea that a max deal would be waiting for him in free agency.
That wasn’t the case. That’s why he forced his way to the Los Angeles Clippers, breaking a long friendship with Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey.
The decision to get behind a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers seemingly came out of left field for Harden. Some reports have suggested the situation was similar. Without a long-term deal on the table for the star guard, Harden was willing to be on his way. Plus, the Clippers were digging themselves out of a deep hole within the Western Conference.
Since his title dreams came up short with the Rockets, Harden has been on a mission to find the right situation to accomplish what’s left of his goals. It didn’t work out with the Nets, Sixers, or the Clippers.
In Harden’s eyes, most organizations have proven that they will cut ties with the players if the front office feels like they can’t win with them. Luka Doncic getting traded out of nowhere just one year after leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals is the best example.
Not every team and player thinks the same way. When loyalty is a two-way street in the NBA, it’s celebrated, rightfully so. But since it’s not super common, a star like Harden doesn’t let the narrative get in the way of his goals. He saw a solid opportunity in front of him to join the Cavaliers, and he took it. Now, we’ll see if Harden finally gets what he wants.
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