Sixers rumors: James Harden is back in the mix for Philadelphia

The Ben Simmons trade (or non-trade) saga continues to unfold (or not unfold) with the Feb. 10 trade deadline in plain view. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Philadelphia’s current preference is to keep Simmons past the trade deadline in an effort to land James Harden next summer.

There has been growing buzz around the idea of Harden leaving Brooklyn for Philadelphia in the offseason. While Shams explicity outlines that Harden chose the Nets over the Sixers last season, it would appear a change of heart is possible. At least, it would appear the Sixers are banking on it.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer added fuel to the fire, citing one source in particular who said the following:

"“The reigning thought process throughout the league is Harden will be a Sixer next season.”"

Do the Sixers have a real chance to land James Harden next summer?

Also included in Pompey’s report are notes on Harden’s strong relationship with Daryl Morey (who spent eight years with Harden in Houston), Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin, and rapper Lil Baby, who recently participated in a charitable effort with Rubin and the Sixers. A source also indicated to Pompey that Harden would embrace the idea of playing next to Joel Embiid “if he became a Sixer,” which feels like a notable tidbit.

That being said, it’s hard to deny the sheer volume of noise around Harden and the Sixers. Morey has expressed an openness — even a desire — to trade Simmons at the deadline, at least in public, but his trade demands have garnered very little traction league-wide. It has been a long time since Ben Simmons played NBA basketball, and the last time he did, he collapsed in epic fashion. If Morey’s asking price doesn’t come down, there’s a good chance Simmons is still on the roster after the trade deadline. It is abundantly clear ownership, management, and Embiid are all on the same page and willing to be patient. The lack of internal pressure to trade Simmons, given the circumstances, is unique and rare.

Obviously, there is also a pressure to maximize Joel Embiid’s prime. He is playing like the MVP right now, and there’s no guarantee we ever see him at this level again. Injuries have been all too prevalent in Embiid’s career up to this point, and the NBA rarely feels this wide-open — especially with Harden’s Nets seemingly unable to put together a fully healthy stretch of games.

The perceived logic of the Sixers’ front office, however, is that it’s important to maximize the next 4-5 years of Embiid’s prime, not just this season. If the Simmons return isn’t up to snuff for Morey, he will opt to wait. Morey only gets one chance to trade Simmons, and if it’s the wrong trade, not only could Harden be off the table — the Sixers’ title odds during the Embiid era could be completely blundered away. From that perspective, it does feel like patience over panic is the right move, even if swapping Simmons for another high-level starter and picks doesn’t take you out of Harden sign-and-trade territory next summer.