NBA Trade Analysis: Evaluating the impact of the James Harden trade

Oct 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden in plain clothes on the bench during the second quarter of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden in plain clothes on the bench during the second quarter of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden
Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

What was your initial reaction to the James Harden trade?

Bill: “My initial reaction was that it was a good move for the Sixers. They had to rid themselves of this guy. He was not going to be a real integral part of this team. He was a real distraction during training camp. I think it was a great move that they got rid of him. I didn’t even care if they got him a bag of balls from him because he was not the type of player that they thought they were going to get in the trade. He was the guy that… In one of the playoff games, he quit and walked up to the court when the Sixers were in the last minute or so of the game. I’m happy that they moved on from James Harden. Obviously, he’ll be a Hall of Famer. But he’s not a Hall of Fame guy. He’s all about James Harden”.

Francisco: “Honestly, it didn’t excite me too much because The Sixers weren’t able to get a star player in return (which we all knew would happen). I’m happy he’s not here anymore because he was just another distraction like the (Ben) Simmons ordeal, but I’m still not all that optimistic about The Sixers’ chances to reach a title this year, which is what it’s all about”.

Seth: It was 4:30 in the morning and my dad came in to wake me up to tell me to check my phone about a James Harden trade.  It did take me some time to comprehend the situation at hand, although after the adrenaline had settled down I was glad that the headache of James Harden being around was over with. I also was ecstatic to see that the Sixers had reacquired Robert Covington, a fan favorite for me during his first stint in Philadelphia”.