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The once-strong relationship between Daryl Morey has deteriorated in recent years, and Morey slipped in a shot at Harden during his post-trade deadline press conference on Friday.
When discussing the state of the Eastern Conference after the deadline, Morey made it clear that he didn’t think any of the teams in the playoff mix in the conference made a needle-moving addition – that includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, who added Harden via a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
"We like our chances in the East. We feel like we're in the mix with the top teams there. Obviously, we got to prove that on the court. … But we still believe in this team,” Morey said.
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“Like, it's still the team that people believed in. Folks have speculated on the improvements of our East competitors. I don't see it, personally. I think all the teams made moves at the deadline, but there weren't any needle movers, in my opinion."
Morey was asked specifically about Cleveland’s addition of Harden in a follow-up question, and he declined to discuss any other team specifically. But, the message was still sent, whether intentional or not.
Perhaps this was Morey’s way of getting back at Harden for publicly calling him a liar a few years back. For those who don't remember, here's the clip:
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, 2023Harden as eventually hit with a $100,000 fine for those comments, but in his eyes it was probably money well spent.
Harden will play against Morey's Sixers as a member of the Cavaliers for the first time on March 9. That might be one to circle on the calendar.
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