James Harden has been the talk of the town this summer, mainly because of his trade situation with the Philadelphia 76ers. For some context, the 10x All-Star requested a trade to leave Philly, but the Sixers board decided that they will keep him. Multiple reports claim that the Sixers chose to backtrack on their word to the superstar as they believe they only have a shot at the title with Harden on the roster.
Amid all this commotion, an X post claimed recently that Harden received an offer from Saudi Arabia to play for a basketball team. The post did not disclose the team’s name but included a huge figure of $900 million. This was not done by a reputed source on social media but still managed to fool many on the platform.
🚨🚨🚨🚨 ESPN :
نجم السلة الأمريكي جيمس هاردن يتلقى عرضاً بقيمة 900 مليون دولار من نادي سعودي 🇸🇦.
⚡️ || هل تتوقع إختياره لنادي #النصر ؟ pic.twitter.com/T4zrGMNDbI
— كورة | #النصر 🦁 (@9NFCBALL) August 17, 2023
The truth behind the post is that it is completely fake, as the lack of proof clearly suggests. It is once again an attempt for social media accounts to gain traction on their profiles with eye-catchy posts that fans will click on without a second thought.
One of the main reasons for the huge figure would be because of how Saudi Arabian soccer teams tend to offer lucrative contracts to top stars. This is done to lure them to the Middle East, and eventually build the league. Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the first few players to join the Saudi Pro League, and it almost seems like every top soccer star is at a Saudi Arabian club now.
Official, confirmed. Neymar Jr joins Al Hilal on $300m package record salary in two years, no option to extend 🚨🔵🇸🇦
Salary could go up to potential $400m total until 2025 based on add-ons & commercial deals.
Deal completed by his father Neymar Pai and super agent Pini Zahavi. pic.twitter.com/M3YDaFsWQ0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 15, 2023
The most recent high-profile transfer was Neymar Jr.’s, who moved to Al-Hilal. The flashy Brazilian star ended a turbulent period with PSG. Despite playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Sergio Ramos, the Paris-based club failed to achieve European glory. Ultimately, injuries and inconsistency led PSG to let go of Neymar, who reportedly signed a $300 million deal.
Will James Harden leave the Philadelphia 76ers?
As far as Harden fans are concerned, it is very likely that he will remain an NBA player, at least in the near future. Multiple reports claim that he has been interested to join the Los Angeles Clippers. The LA-based franchise boast the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. The possibility of the Clippers having a shot at the title will surely be real if Harden moves to LA.
But it looks like the Sixers are unmoved. Despite Harden’s rant about Daryl Morey, reports say that the Sixers board remain adamant of keeping The Beard. This will surely come as a shock, as the NBA community believed that Harden attempted to force a trade by calling out Morey publicly.
James Harden: “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. 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.” pic.twitter.com/AmHJ0WwbF2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2023
The NBA did conduct an investigation into the matter. Harden mentioned that he felt betrayed by Morey, who assured the player that he’d be traded after opting in. With that said, it looks more likely that he will remain in Philly, which would be interesting to see considering recent events.