After being swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers quickly fired head coach Brett Brown and hired Doc Rivers to be their next head coach about a week after he was let go by the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers also brought in former Rockets GM Daryl Morey to be the organization’s new President of Basketball Operations and he was very aggressive in turning this team into a true championship contender this offseason. Another move could make sense for the 76ers, which would be trading for Detroit Pistons’ guard Derrick Rose.

The Sixers were able to trade for Danny Green, Seth Curry, and Terrance Ferguson, while also signing Dwight Howard in free agency to back up All-Star center Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey also joins the 76ers this season as a first-round pick in this year’s draft and will look to get involved early on in his career.

With numerous offensive threats now on the roster and Embiid and Simmons leading the charge, the 76ers look like a true championship contender, but may not be done just yet. There are a lot of rumors about James Harden and where he could potentially end up being traded to; the Philadelphia 76ers being one of his desired destinations.

If the 76ers were able to get James Harden, they would definitely be one of the favorites to win the 2021 NBA Championship and be a tough team to beat.

The James Harden “sweepstakes” are something to monitor, especially with the 76ers, but they do not have to trade for Harden in order to have a chance at winning the title this season. Rose is an excellent veteran point guard who has proven he can still play at a high level and should be an immediate trade target for the 76ers. 

Here are three reasons why the 76ers should still pursue a trade for Derrick Rose from the Pistons even though they are involved in numerous trade rumors to land Harden.