A report this week indicated James Harden plans to report back to camp with the Philadelphia 76ers and extra info Zach Lowe gleaned from the NBA’s collective bargaining settlement might clarify why that’s his place. Harden continues to desire a commerce from the Sixers with the Los Angeles Clippers his most popular crew.
“There’s an obscure clause within the collective bargaining settlement that claims the next: ‘A participant who’s within the final yr of his contract.’ Okay, in order that’s James Harden. He is on an expiring contract,” mentioned Zach Lowe on his podcast.
“‘Who withholds his enjoying companies for greater than 30 days after the beginning of the final season lined by his contract shall be deemed’, I am paraphrasing now, ‘ought to be deemed to have violated his contract. Accordingly, such a participant shall not be a veteran free agent and shall not be entitled to barter or signal a contract with every other skilled basketball crew except and till the crew from which the participant final performed expressly agrees in any other case.’
“I used to be alerted to that clause by individuals who would know what it means. After which I checked with different individuals who would know what it means and I mentioned ‘Am I an fool or does this say he does not truly present up, the Sixers, as a result of he is on an expiring contract, can block him in perpetuity from signing within the NBA?’
“And I checked with authorized folks and cap folks and crew folks and no matter folks, and the reply each time was ‘Sure. And never solely the NBA, every other skilled basketball groups means precisely what you suppose it’s.
“So in case you simply learn that, that is why I made the remark about James’ quote displaying his ass as you place it, as a result of provided that actuality, if he is not traded, he sort of has to indicate up and we all know what occurs if he exhibits up and he is sad as a result of we have seen it time and again.”
The clause Lowe references within the collective bargaining settlement is from Article XI, Part 3.
Gamers within the NBA have hardly ever held out whereas actively beneath contract and can usually agitate for a commerce whereas ostensibly with the crew. Ben Simmons reported to apply with the Sixers in 2021 earlier than he stepped away from the crew of their standoff. Lowe additionally reported this week that Simmons acquired credit score for a yr of service for the 21-22 season regardless of not showing in any video games.
