In less than two full seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, 10x All-Star James Harden was ready to move on and never look back. According to various reports, Harden was displeased with how his free agency was handled and opted into his contract this summer with the intention of working on finding a trade.
Of course, Harden has yet to be moved after 11 days of free agency, and there is a growing sense that he may just end up not going anywhere at all. According to league insider Dave McMenamin, all the signs point towards Harden staying in Philly for at least one more season.
“I was speaking to a bunch of folks about this Sunday evening. The signals right now is that he will be back with the Philadelphia 76ers…as of right now, with no momentum appearing on a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.”
Despite some solid numbers during the regular season, Harden struggled to stay consistent in the playoffs and it prevented the Sixers from achieving their goals. Still, there’s nobody to replace Harden for Philadelphia right now and they are probably better off just keeping him around than trading him for spare parts.
Joel Embiid Is ‘Disappointed’ With Harden’s Trade Request
As Harden’s future hangs in the balance, one has to wonder how Joel Embiid is dealing with all of this. It is him, after all, who is now at risk of losing his second co-star in just two years.
Speaking on the situation, Embiid admitted that he wasn’t thrilled with Harden’s impending departure.
“Disappointed. Then again, I also understand that it’s business. People make decisions and I am more appreciative of the way he’s handled the whole situation. We are going to be boys forever,” said Embiid. “I want him to come back so we can go out and accomplish what we want, which is to win a championship.”
Only time will tell how this plays out for the 76ers, but losing Harden this summer could be the beginning of the end of the Embiid era. Keeping Harden, at least for now, may just be the only way to stable off disaster.
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