Report: Rival Owners Preparing To Charge Sixers With 'Tampering' on James Harden

 

This could get ugly. If the rumored offseason move of James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers takes place, rival NBA owners are already preparing a tampering charge against the Sixers. This from Yahoo Sports and TNT sideline reporter Chris Haynes.

It all begins with the fact that Harden is "very, very, very good friends" with Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin. 

On his Posted Up podcast today, Haynes reports:

I’ve been talking to a rival owner, talking to rival front office executives, who believe that there can be some talk going on now between both sides. 

Rumors have been flying that Harden is unhappy in Brooklyn, and wants to take his talents to Philly to play with Joel Embiid. Kendrick Perkins dropped this bomb earlier this week. It's thought that Sixers president Daryl Morey is holding back Ben Simmons from any trade now, in order to orchestrate a sign-and-trade with the Nets once Harden opts-out this summer.

Haynes continued:

Some front office executives are prepared to, when the time comes, if a deal does look like is about to transpire where there could be some potential sign-and-trade in the offseason, they’re prepared to get the league involved on a potential collusion case dating back to what they what they believe could be going on right now, you know as to why we’re probably hearing a lot of Philadelphia/James Harden talk... I was told there will be complaints issued to the league on try to investigate to see if there was any collusion.

Harden's relationship with Morey from their days in Houston, plus his close ties with Sixers co-owner Rubin, make for a very interesting situation that could play out this summer.

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