The 76ers are at yet another crossroads.
This summer, Daryl Morey must decide what to do with James Harden, the 2018 MVP with a confounding playoff résumé who has requested a trade. Morey is steadfast in his position not to trade Harden for anything less than a star or a package that can help the team acquire one.
Generally, that would be a reasonable position for the head of a front office to take. But the problem is the clock is ticking on Joel Embiid in more ways than one. Can the Sixers really afford to drag out the Harden saga like they did with Ben Simmons two summers ago? I have my doubts.
If there’s been one constant during the Joel Embiid era in Philadelphia—besides the second-round playoff exits—it’s the front office continuously being put in a position to make big decisions. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they’ve had a track record of making the wrong choice.
Ben Simmons or Jaylen Brown? Markelle Fultz or Jayson Tatum? Zhaire Smith or Mikal Bridges? Tobias Harris or Jimmy Butler? Somehow, Philly’s previous regimes picked the wrong player in that either-or every time.
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In Morey’s defense, all of those decisions predated him. But his one big move as president hasn’t exactly been a resounding success. The Sixers were lauded for turning Simmons into Harden in 2022. Except Harden’s playoff ineptitude in big games has rivaled Simmons’s.
Harden scored 25 points combined in Games 5 and 6 during Philly’s second-round loss to Miami in 2022. He scored only 22 points combined in Games 6 and 7 during the Sixers’ elimination at the hands of the Celtics in May. His Game 7 stat line was nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and five turnovers. Harden was outscored by every other Philly starter, including P.J. Tucker.
The tape of those dispiriting performances is out there. I’m not sure how Morey can expect a big return, especially when a team like the Clippers would be looking to make Harden a third banana at best.
Some—like my Sports Illustrated colleague Chris Mannix—have suggested the Sixers prepare to play this season with Harden. I understand the argument, especially because of how important it is for Philly to maintain its status as a contender. But I don’t think the strategy works.
First of all, at best and as presently constructed, the Sixers are as good as they were last season. They lost Georges Niang and added Pat Beverley, which if anything gives the team’s playoff rotation less flexibility. Otherwise, Philly didn’t really acquire anyone who could help them in the postseason. Even if the top of the East didn’t meaningfully change, why should anyone believe the Sixers can break through their second-round ceiling with this current group?
In theory, Harden should be motivated by the fact he needs to earn his next contract. In practice, whenever else he’s requested a trade, he hasn’t appeared to be fully committed to the program. Even in a best-case, locked-in Harden scenario, the Sixers likely don’t go further than last season. And the worst case is keeping him around while he potentially sinks the team.
Philly can’t afford to go down that road. Embiid will be 30 next season. This summer he dropped a hint he could want out of Philadelphia. That alone should frighten the franchise, and that’s before we think of the injury concerns. Embiid’s history of injuries is a massive factor, not only in how his career started, but also how seemingly something pops up every spring right around playoff time. Morey can’t tout flexibility or upcoming cap space while his injury-prone MVP center grows restless about his lack of playoff success and mounting pressure to win.
Ultimately, while Morey’s public stance of patience in regard to Harden may in part be a leverage play, Embiid’s situation requires urgency. Philly cannot waste a season of his prime, which is effectively what happened in 2022.
Does that mean shipping off Harden in a panic? No. But if the offer exists, I would heavily consider some kind of trade with the Sixers centered on players like Norman Powell or Nicolas Batum. If Philly really believes Tyrese Maxey can blossom into a second star, then there’s a case to be made to turn Harden into multiple vets. Could the combo of Embiid, Maxey and a deep two-way supporting cast emulate how the Nuggets just won a championship? Wouldn’t the Sixers believe that potential group is better than the Miami one that just made the Finals?
Of course, we don’t know which exact offers are out there. And Morey, to his credit, has a history of finding his No. 1 All-Star in unexpected ways. Dragging out the Harden situation as Embiid openly contemplates his future feels incredibly risky, though. The Sixers need to make the right decision, and they need to make it quickly.
