Okay, so Beard called GM Daryl Morey a "liar" in China the other day. Then repeated it for emphasis.

Ooh.

Morey and Beard were tight for eight years in Cowtown. Did Morey lie to Beard? Well...

Harden...opted into the last year of his contract...on the condition that the Sixers trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to two people familiar with the request but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Ooh.

Morey recently pulled the plug on talks with LAC. Gotcha! The ol' bait and switch. 

There have always been parallels between James' situation in Philly and Dame Lillard's in Portlandia. The Association has firmly sided with the "Trail Blazers"--and that with a MODEL player. Harden is no model player. He successfully forced his way out of both Cowtown and Rust. Adam would be itching to drop the hammer on Beard..or take the scissors to him. 

But if Morey DID lie to Beard...

Did Joe Cronin lie to Damian Lillard? Well...

Cronin never said he would trade Dame if Dame wanted out. He did say that he "failed" Dame in not giving him reason to want to stay. Cronin did use his no. 1 draft pick, not on a complementary piece for Dame, but on a replacement for him. Dame gave Cronin time to make a move at the start of free agency. When Cronin did not, Dame asked for the trade to Miami.  It is not the bait-and-switch in Philadelphia with Beard but it is similar: Representations were made; the player relied; management "failed"; hard feelings resulted. But the Association has come down on Dame and not on Beard. I don't know.

So much time has gone on now and Portland and the "Heat" aren't even talking, the “Heat” are “frustrated”--I don't think we're ever going to get Damian Lillard.