A disgruntled James Harden has reportedly named the Philadelphia 76ers as his destination of choice.
Last night, James Harden spoke frankly to reporters about his perceived hopelessness of the situation in Houston. He deemed the Rockets unfit for contention and reiterated — for the first time in front of cameras — that he views the situation as unfixable.
To put it simply, James Harden wants a trade. He has leaked numerous destinations to the press over the last month or so, with Brooklyn, Miami, Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland among them. Here at this site, however, we naturally gravitate towards his noteworthy inclusion of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden has worked closely with Sixers President Daryl Morey in the past to shape the rosters in Houston. If anyone understands Harden’s value to a team, it’s Morey, who called the Rockets guard possibly “the greatest offensive player of all-time.”
While it may be hyperbole to call Harden the greatest ever, he is firmly in the conversation. Very few people have been able to do what James Harden can do on a basketball court. If you are still torn over the whole “trade Ben Simmons” side of the debacle, I urge you to dig into the archives and watch some of Simmons’ best performances over the years. Then, watch some of Harden’s best performances, and get back to me.
I have stated it plainly in the past — Harden is too good to pass up. Even his recent struggles, which are undoubtedly tied to his displeasure with Houston’s roster, do not change my mind. Simmons is great, Harden is an all-timer.
That makes this news somewhat notable — even if it has little bearing on Houston’s actions in the coming days or weeks. According to Stephen A. Smith this morning on First Take, Harden prefers Philadelphia over even Brooklyn as his top destination. That would mark a serious change of heart after numerous leaks painting the Nets as his desired landing spot.
Regardless of Harden’s desires, the Rockets will make the trade best for them. The Nets are now willing to trade Kyrie Irving, according to Nick Wright, while teams like Miami and Portland can surely make compelling offers. That said, not asset rumored to be available has topped Ben Simmons. A package of Simmons and picks would almost certainly — barring a Herculean mega-trade effort from Brooklyn and possibly a third team — top anything on the marketplace. The ball is in Daryl Morey’s court.
Morey is a smart and talented GM who values winning and championship probability above all else. He has first-hand experience with Harden, and while not all of that was inherently pleasurable, it did net Houston a lot of wins and a lot of opportunity. It would be unfair to Joel Embiid, who looks as good as ever, to not give this team the best chance possible at winning a championship. Harden does so.
We will see how this unfolds in the coming weeks. Maybe even sooner, as Harden’s desperate plea in front of the cameras last night has probably expedited the process. He wants out, and it’s clear he will not give his all in Houston. It’s a waiting game for us on the outside.