James Harden: The Prince Who Was Promised
James Harden and Daryl Morey had a unbelievable run together in Houston for nine full seasons. In those seasons Harden was one of the top players in the league, won an MVP, and the Rockets were consistent championship contenders. Unfortunately they never quite got that NBA championship they were striving for, but they had sustained greatness for many years. When Morey eventually resigned, Harden immediately began to demand a trade and we all know the story from there.
Harden and Morey’s partnership seemingly had come to it’s inevitable end once James was traded to Brooklyn and Morey signed with the Sixers, until recent reports. This past week there have been several reports about Harden being unhappy in Brooklyn and looking for a change of scenery, with even some reports explicitly saying that he would want to join the Sixers this offseason. Harden and Morey have a great relationship and it is clear they both are interested in working together again, but this time the stars look to be aligning for the two to reunite.
Harden and Embiid would be an unbelievable duo that would immediately make the Sixers one of the main title favorites. Harden would provide the playmaking and distribution that the Sixers have been missing with Simmons out, but he is in a totally different class offensively than Simmons. Harden creates so many opportunities for shooters, can score in isolation, can run the offense, MAKE FREE THROWS, and has a lot of playoff experience which is something this Sixers roster is definitely missing. The main thing that he will bring to the Sixers roster, coaching staff, and front office though will be a sense of urgency. Harden does not have a lot of time to win a championship and if he comes to the Sixers there is no time to wait.
The only problem is that for the Sixers to get Harden, it seems like they would have to wait for this offseason, which doesn’t solve the problem of wasting an MVP-caliber season from Embiid. This Sixers roster definitely could make some moves to assist in this years championship hopes, but James Harden is going to be the best player the Sixers could get at this point. No trade would make sense for the team if it jeopardizes the ability to sign Harden in the future. It is a very tricky situation the Sixers front office is currently in, but the main goal is always championships, and whatever they move Simmons or Harris for, needs to improve the teams chances at a title. It appears that as of right now Morey does not believe any of the other trades would do that. If Morey has his eyes set on James Harden, then everyone should be ready for a quiet trade deadline after all for the Sixers.
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Categorized:Sixers