The Philadelphia 76ers have a big question to answer when it comes to the James Harden situation. After making a big deal at the deadline to acquire the future Hall of Famer from the Brooklyn Nets, the trade didn’t work out the way they had hoped.
The Sixers still lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons, and in the Game 6 elimination game Harden took a total of two shots after halftime. When asked about his lack of aggression, The Beard didn’t exactly give an inspiring answer.
As Harden and the Sixers navigate the offseason, questions now surround him and his future. He will likely opt in to his $47 million player option for the 2022-23 season, but if he is not the explosive scorer beside Joel Embiid the team needs, does Philadelphia sign him long term or move on?
An NBA executive sat down with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, and gave their thoughts on the situation with Harden and president Daryl Morey:
“This is going to define Daryl,” said the exec. “The trade has not worked out the way he had hoped. If he messes this up and James leaves, where does that leave them? If he overpays him, how do they build a winner? He knew James better than anybody. He knew his lifestyle. He knew where his body was at. He had to have some level of knowledge about where this was going. He loves the guy. He’s loyal to the guy. I get that. But you have to separate from that when making these decisions.”
It will be fascinating to see what Philadelphia does. Harden is still a terrific player, but if the Sixers can get him to agree to a deal somewhere around the four years and $120 million Chris Paul signed with the Phoenix Suns, it would be much more beneficial.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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