After disgruntled veteran star James Harden made a sudden appearance at team practice this week, the 76ers have made it known where they stand on the issue at hand. In a report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, he explained that Harden will not be re-joining the team after being told by the organization not to bother suiting up for the upcoming road trip.
“James Harden returned to Philadelphia on Tuesday night with his bags packed to join the team on the road for Thursday vs. Bucks and Saturday vs. Raptors, but the 76ers have now asked him not to travel with the team,” wrote Shams.
It was widely believed that the 76ers would embrace Harden’s return, even if it was just for the season. But now, it seems that the team (specifically GM Daryl Morey) has finally given up on efforts to keep James Harden on the roster. Whether it’s a deal with the Clippers or some other mystery team, a trade seems inevitable now and it’s just a matter of what the 76ers will get back in return.
The Point Of No Return
With the 76ers set to face off against the Bucks on opening night, it was supposed to be a matchup for the ages and a potential preview of the 2024 Conference Finals. Instead, the 76ers will be a shell of themselves and a far cry from being the contenders they were last season. While many factors are to blame for the decline of the 76ers, the antics of James Harden have put them in the worst position.
After failing to make a Finals run last year, the 76ers will have to find a way to pull it off this year without Harden, who was their second-best player for most of the season with a stat line of 21 points, 10.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 44% shooting. But as much as Harden would help the 76ers this campaign, there’s no erasing the damage he did this past summer when he called out Daryl Morey for being a “liar” and trapped the 76ers into complacency for yet another offseason.
What Happens Next For The 76ers?
After maintaining their desire to have Harden back, it was quite a twist when the Sixers requested for Harden not to rejoin his teammates this season. But with that piece of evidence, we can safely conclude that Morey has committed to trading James at some point in the near future. For now, it remains a mystery what kind of package the 76ers will get in return, but the Clippers don’t have a whole lot to offer besides Terance Mann, Nic Batum, and a few future picks.
For Philly’s sake, they better hope it’s enough to keep Embiid happy. The aftermath of Giannis’ massive extension with the Bucks has put pressure on the Sixers to get a long-term commitment from Embiid. But unless they can get him a proper co-star, one that actually wants to stick around, they might never get him to avoid free agency. Over the next few weeks and months, expect the Sixers to take a long look in the mirror to examine who they are, what they have, and what it will take to finally have a breakthrough in the Eastern Conference.
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