"I know this guy like my brother" - $11.5 billion worth former Sixers owner Michael Rubin laments James Harden's situation; predicts his next step

James Harden has once again requested that he be traded by his team. This trade request is the third in Harden's career, and just like the last two, it is filled with a lot of drama. The star guard called Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey a liar and said that he would never play in an organization Morey is a part of.

In the most recent episode of "The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone," Patrick Beverly discussed the situation with guest Michael Rubin. Rubin, who used to own a stake with the 76ers, was asked by Beverly how he would handle the situation:

"It wouldn't have happened. First of all James [Harden] is family to me, and I'm like, I'm not going to hide about that. I love James, this thing is breaking my heart. This thing was just not handled well."

Beverly then shared that Harden played up to his usual superstar level in practice before Rubin continued to share his thoughts about "The Beard":

"There's nobody who wants to win a championship more than James Harden, I know this guy like my brother. People give James a hard time because, you know, he likes to have fun and it's bull****. The guy's work ethic for basketball is insane..."

Rubin said he blocks out negative statements from the media and thinks Harden is going to have a great season:

"I block out the noise that relates to him because I think a lot of people just don't know, like the real James Harden and how badly he wants to win," Rubin added. "He's going to ball out this year."

Michael Rubin formerly had minority ownership with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. He sold those stakes in 2022. Rubin is also the founder and CEO of Fanatics, an online sports merchandising retailer. His net worth of $11.5 billion comes mostly from his online retail business (via Forbes).

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The LA Clippers are the only team pursuing a James Harden trade

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the LA Clippers are the only team that has sent an offer for James Harden, however, the Philadelphia 76ers are not willing to accept it.

According to Wojnarowski on NBA Countdown, the Clippers' offer of an unprotected first-round pick isn't good enough. This is because they are a competitive team and the 76ers don't believe that it will turn out to be a high draft pick.

The Clippers seem unwilling to add other assets to acquire James Harden and as of now, a trade seems to be nowhere near completion.