(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers still apparently wants to be traded, and the Los Angeles Clippers, his preferred destination, are still trying to acquire him with the start of the NBA’s regular season about two weeks away.
The 76ers haven’t been able to find a trade they would deem satisfactory ever since the beginning of the offseason, which led to him blasting executive Daryl Morey.
Former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers gave his thoughts on the Harden trade saga, per NBA on ESPN.
“I don’t know if I saw it coming. … Once you saw James opt-in, you knew there was trouble in paradise.”
Doc on James Harden’s trade request. pic.twitter.com/VXDf1JXIgl
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 11, 2023
Although Harden may not be what he was about five years ago when he went on a historic extended tear, he is still a very good player, and he could be able to help elevate another team up a notch.
The Sixers, as presently constituted, seem to be contenders on paper, but they also seem to be missing something that would truly put them on par with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, the two true heavyweights in the Eastern Conference.
They do have reigning regular-season MVP Joel Embiid, who is at the peak of his powers, as well as very good supporting players in Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and newcomer Kelly Oubre Jr.
If Philly decides to keep Harden, they run the risk of possessing a malcontent on their roster who could single-handedly damage team morale, which is a no-no when a team is looking to win it all.
The Sixers haven’t gotten to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, and they haven’t won the world championship since 1983.
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