76ers trade James Harden to the Heat and land a star in this all-in proposal

Why the 76ers should steer clear from the Heat’s trade package from Harden

Philadelphia has been in penury since embracing its championship hunt, but the franchise will finally have landscape-altering spending power next year. So, for this deal to even strike a optimistic nerve for the 76ers, they really must love the idea of the troika of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tyler Herro carrying them for the foreseeable future.

In the spirit of frankness, that would be utter hubris on the part of the front office. The East is now admittedly top-heavy, and those in the topmost echelon will not perspire themselves seeing that Big Three try to oppose them.

Embiid may be the MVP, but he has just as much to prove in the playoffs as most of his compatriots. Maxey is still a tier or two from achieving the degree of stardom needed to qualify as a legitimate second option on a championship team. Herro is an up-and-coming star with more downs recently due to injury concerns.

Circling back to this deal, even if the Clippers fail to enrich their Philly-bound pot for harden, the 76ers could be much better off just holding onto what they currently have. Sure, the immediate impact could redound to a sacrificial lamb in the form of a year-long state of punting, but for the massive cap space and optionality the front office can delight in next year if they stand pat, the rewards could be tremendous.

The Philadelphia 76ers endured a five-year long process. A much, much shorter one that won’t require unpleasantly chasing ping-pong balls shouldn’t faze them.