Clippers' James Harden: 76ers 'Front Office Had Other Plans, They Didn't Want Me'

James Harden spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers, and he didn't hold back when discussing the end of his tenure with his former team.

"Me leaving Brooklyn and thinking I was gonna retire as a Sixer, the front office had other plans," Harden told reporters. "They didn't want me. It's that simple."

After requesting to be traded over the summer, Harden finally got his wish on Tuesday when the Sixers sent him, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and an additional first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The deal ended months of discontent from Harden, who made no secret of his unhappiness with the slow-moving negotiations between Philadelphia and Los Angeles. During a promotional event in China in August, he called Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey "a liar" multiple times and declared "I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."

Last month, it was reported that Harden was not participating in team scrimmages during training camp. He later reiterated to reporters that his relationship with Morey was irreparable.

Now, the 34-year-old has the chance to prove why he was so adamant about departing the Sixers. Harden joins a veteran-laden Clippers roster that includes Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook. It sounds like he's hoping to become more of a focal point on offense than he was in Philadelphia.

"Long story short, I'm happy I'm here. I'm excited to be able to show how good individually and how good this team can be and is gonna be," he said.

Harden likely will make his Clippers debut when they visit the New York Knicks on Monday.