James Harden lied, not Daryl Morey; Marcus Mariota sparks Eagles QB controversy

Daryl Morey didn’t lie. James Harden is lying.

After Harden accused the Sixers president of lying about a promise of more money in the future, two NBA sources insisted last week that Morey never even implied that Harden would be guaranteed a maximum contract if he took a $15 million pay cut in the 2022 offseason. What he implied was, if, in 2022-23, Harden returned to the form he last displayed in 2019-20, Harden might be worth an average of $52 million over the next four years.

Harden did not return to that form. In fact, he regressed.

As should be expected; after all, he’s nearly 34, and, considering his lifestyle, those are dog years. As such, Morey did not offer Harden anywhere near the max. In fact, neither Morey nor anyone else in the NBA believes Harden is even worth the $35.6 million he opted in to in June.

That includes Harden. Oh, he wants all the money. He just knows he’s not worth it. He hasn’t been worth it in a while.

Remember, Harden was a free agent last year. Nobody wanted him last year.

Harden was able to be a free agent this year. He knew nobody wanted him this year. That’s why he didn’t opt out of his contract. That’s why he took $35.6 million.

Nobody wanted to trade for him this year, either. Because, until Saudi Arabia starts buying hoopers like it’s buying golfers and soccer players, Harden’s not worth $35.6 million to anyone, anywhere.

So, why call Morey a liar?

Harden is frustrated. Harden is desperate.

Harden also is valuable. That $35.6 million is a fair number for a team like the Sixers, who are without a point guard, and it’s fair for an aging, flawed point guard who is without a team.

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Harden told a Houston radio station Thursday that he considers his relationship with the Sixers “beyond repair.”

Hopefully, Harden is realistic enough to accept that his future lies in Philadelphia.

In most cities, the most popular athlete in town is the backup quarterback, mainly because, in most cities, the starter is playing mediocre football (or worse) for a mediocre team (or worse). At least, nobody hates the backup QB. All he’s got to do is say nice things about the starter, smile, and wear a headset.

Somehow, Eagles backup Marcus Mariota has managed to become the most unpopular player in town before taking a real snap, thanks to his stunning ineptness and the grace and poise of rookie Tanner McKee.

This is a very Philadelphian phenomenon, considering the town’s obsession with the team and the press corps’ obsession with dissecting training-camp practice performances. Also, many zealots will insist that the greatest quarterback in franchise history was Nick Foles, who led the Eagles to their only Super Bowl win after the 2017 season. That’s ridiculous, of course, but it does underscore the importance of competence from the man holding the clipboard. And, both in practices and preseason games, Mariota has been incompetent.

How bad has he been? His preseason passer rating in two games is 56.3. This should come as no surprise, considering he has been benched twice in the past four seasons in Tennessee, Las Vegas, and Atlanta, with a combined passer rating of 89.1.

Yes, Mariota is playing with backups, but he’s also playing against backups, most of whom have less than one-third the experience Mariota has as an eight-year veteran. He should be cooking them. Instead, he has thrown for 144 yards and an interception.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni offered this weird excuse:

“It’s about us finding what works for him.”

That makes no sense.

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Mariota has been in the NFL for eight seasons. The Eagles signed him because they know “what works for him.” He just isn’t executing it.

Meanwhile, McKee, a heady rookie, has thrown for 295 yards and a touchdown. He also has been playing with backups, and his backups are far worse than Mariota’s backups.

The Eagles valued Mariota’s mobility and experience, which would make him a more seamless replacement for mobile starter Jalen Hurts, so they gave him a $5 million deal — but most of that was in bonus dollars. If the Eagles cut him tomorrow, all that any team claiming him would owe is just $1.165 million in salary.

If the Eagles cut him tomorrow, he’d probably clear waivers.

For whatever it’s worth, McKee reminds you a lot of Nick Foles.

They’re both around 6-foot-6 and weighed 240 pounds when drafted. They are leaden of foot but strong of arm. The play the game with their heads up. They have excellent pocket sense and presence. They’re smart. They relish The Moment. Their football IQs are off the charts.

Those traits sold GM Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie on Foles in 2012, when the Eagles used a third-round pick on him to back up Michael Vick and Trent Edwards, and again in 2017, when they overpaid to bring back Foles as Carson Wentz’s understudy. Roseman said the same sort of things about McKee when they drafted him in April.

It looks like the Eagles might have found more than just a high-ceiling project with this sixth-round pick out of Stanford. They might have found Nick Foles, 2.0.

» READ MORE: Do the Eagles have a No. 2 quarterback problem with Marcus Mariota or is the answer Tanner McKee?