NBA
Sources around the NBA say that the signals point to James Harden staying with the 76ers this offseason
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated12 Jul 2023
This offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have been at a crossroads with all-star PG James Harden. Reports have said that the Sixers and Harden’s agents were working on a possible sign-and-trade. He opted into his $35.6 million player option for next season with the franchise expanding trade possibilities. Sources around the NBA say that the signals point to Harden staying with the 76ers this offseason.
While Joel Embiid was the league MVP last season, the team would not be the same in 2023-24 without Harden. Last season, the 33-year-old league the NBA in assists per game (10.7) for the second time in his career. His defense is average at best, but Harden’s offensive skillset and basketball IQ rank near the top of the league.
Having him back for the 2023-24 season is Philly’s best option while they are in a championship window. Whether fans believe it or not, James Harden is a crucial piece in the 76ers’ success next season.
There’s a good chance James Harden stays with Philadelphia, per @mcten
“I was speaking to a bunch of folks about this Sunday evening. The signals right now is that he will be back with the Philadelphia 76ers…as of right now, with no momentum appearing on a deal with the Los… pic.twitter.com/39B0cOFThx
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 11, 2023
The best move for the 76ers is to retain James Harden and not trade him away this offseason
Throughout the 2022-23 regular season, James Harden was rumored to return to the Houston Rockets. Those conversations started as early as December 2022. Reports at the time detailed how the two sides had a “mutual interest” in a possible reunion in the future.
That was until the Rockets fired Stephen Silas and hired Ime Udoka as their new head coach. Udoka was very blunt with the media and said Harden was not the right fit for Houston. The Rockets were not the only Western Conference team with interest in the 2017-18 league MVP.
Ty Lue and the LA Clippers had been in contact with the 76ers in a possible sign-and-trade for Harden. However, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said there has been no momentum in making a deal happen. That’s why he thinks the signals are pointing to the 76ers retaining Harden this offseason. The 10-time all-star has played 79 games for the Sixers in one and a half seasons.
