James Harden says relationship with Sixers is beyond repair

The Sixers have ended James Harden trade talks and now we’ve fully entered the “it’s time for Harden to make things uncomfortable” stage of this long, ugly saga.

Harden has returned from his tour in China, and it didn’t take long for him to share another negative comment on the state of his relationship with the Sixers.

This time, when asked if he thinks it’s too late to repair the relationship, Harden simply said, “I think so.”

“I’ve been patient all summer,” Harden said. “For me, it’s just focus on what I can control and that’s, you know, working out, staying in shape and getting ready for a good season.”

Harden saying he’s been patient all summer is certainly an, uh, interesting angle to take. Just a few days ago he publicly called Daryl Morey 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 event in China. “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.”

Perhaps disgruntled NBA stars who request three trades in four years have a different definition of “patience”.

Whether Harden is angry due to not getting a long-term max offer he was expecting, not being traded after opting in this summer, a combination of the two, or some finer details only those involved know about, he’s clearly hellbent on making things uncomfortable for everyone in the lead-up to training camp.

Harden obviously isn’t budging from his stance and there’s no sign Morey and the Sixers will settle for a weak trade offer just to bring things to an end.

This standoff doesn’t seem to be ending any time too soon. Everyone’s losing in this situation right now.