Once upon a time, James Harden and Joel Embiid were teammates on the Philadelphia 76ers and made up the most dangerous pick-and-roll duo the NBA had seen in quite some time. The Sixers acquired Harden at the trade deadline during the 2021–22 season and watched as he helped elevate Embiid to his first league MVP trophy in 2022–23.
Then everything fell to pieces as Harden's relationship with Philly GM Daryl Morey fractured beyond repair, leading the star point guard to join the Los Angeles Clippers. In his wake, both Embiid and the Sixers have failed to reach the same heights. The last two years have been injury-plagued for Embiid and this past season marked the worst finish for Philadelphia since The Process days.
