The Philadelphia 76ers still need to make a move involving NBA All-Star Ben Simmons as the trade deadline approaches. There’s a growing chance that nothing ends up getting done until the offseason, however.
It’s clear the Sixers have high aspirations when it comes to the main player they receive in a trade for Simmons. Names like Damian Lillard, James Harden, Bradley Beal, and Jaylen Brown have been atop the list of potential targets for quite some team. However, none have been available.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, it ‘should surprise no one’ that Morey is ‘holding out hope for a Harden reunion’ by waiting to move Simmons until the offseason.
The notion of Morey holding out hope for a Harden reunion should surprise no one who saw them thrive together during those eight seasons together in Houston. It wasn’t just the on-court success that created their bond, though the perennial playoff appearances (including two Western Conference Finals) didn’t hurt.
The relationship that Harden and Morey share should not be discounted given how Morey in the past has ’empowered Harden like never before’ along with Morey’s initial pursuit of Harden involving Ben Simmons is all the more reason to keep an eye on a second effort.
It was the way Morey empowered Harden like never before, hiring a coach in Mike D’Antoni whose system played so wonderfully to his strengths and building the roster around him throughout. And after Morey’s failed attempt to pull it off last summer, when a deal that would have sent Simmons to the Rockets was real enough that the Sixers point guard even started shopping for homes in the Houston area, it makes perfect sense that Morey would want to go down this familiar road again.
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The idea of pairing Joel Embiid, who is playing at an MVP level once again, with a talent like James Harden would be a truly fascinating outcome for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Teams already face enough issues with having to switch screens and hold their own against Embiid. Add in an elite isolation threat running the ball screen and then all of a sudden, switching the screen or using a traditional approach allowing the deep drive with a drop are almost equally untenable.
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The main obstacle for the Philadelphia 76ers is a rather simple one. Would James Harden truly want to leave the Brooklyn Nets when playing alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving offers his greatest chance of winning a championship? Perhaps if he wants the ball in his hands more, but otherwise, it’s a tough argument. Playing next to Joel Embiid does offer plenty of intrigue, especially as the clear-cut top perimeter option..
