No. 2 — Philadelphia 76ers
Before James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, he was given a choice by Rockets’ management on where he wanted to go. Houston had received offers from the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets for Harden and the former league MVP chose to team up with Irving and Durant in Brooklyn.
The Philadelphia 76ers drew a lot of attention from Harden and they could once again be at the focal point of rumors circulating around the nine-time All-Star because of Daryl Morey.
While Harden was with the Rockets, Morey served as Houston’s general manager up until October 2020 and he joined the Philadelphia 76ers shortly after as their new president of basketball operations.
James Harden has a very strong relationship with Daryl Morey and the 76ers’ front-office has been very active in trying to make moves through the years. They may have failed trying to trade for Harden last season, but the rumors of him wanting to become a free agent definitely brings a smile to Morey’s face, as he knows that they may have a slight edge over the Nets right now.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Could Sixers Actually Pull Off James Harden Acquisition?
Trading Ben Simmons has been on the minds of the 76ers and pretty much everyone around the league since this past offseason, but the Sixers have been unable to find the right trade for themselves. Plenty of teams have expressed interest in trading for Simmons, but Philadelphia is wanting a championship-level player in return that they can pair with Joel Embiid.
Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal have been called the obvious choices in the past for the 76ers, but James Harden is definitely at the top of this list.
They may not be able to sign him in the offseason unless they were able to unload the contracts of Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons now, but a sign-and-trade with the Nets for James Harden is definitely in play.
The Philadelphia 76ers would wind up hard-capping themselves and have to pay a ton of money in luxury taxes, but a duo of Harden and Embiid could definitely change the balance of power in not just the Eastern Conference, but the NBA as a whole.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Could Sixers Actually Pull Off James Harden Acquisition?
Again though, this situation of picking either the Nets or the 76ers in the offseason really depends on how things play out this season. The trade deadline and if the 76ers hold onto Ben Simmons is just one thing that needs to happen, but they also need to prove that they are on the cusp of winning a championship.
Should the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers meet in the playoffs, that matchup may not just be a battle to advance further into the playoffs in pursuit of a championship, but a battle to sign James Harden in the offseason.
