Despite how terrible this season turned out for the Philadelphia 76ers, it would be highly disingenuous to give the attendant blame game a retroactive effect. After all, the front office put this roster together neatly last summer, arming Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with players who present sensible skill sets to complement their skills.
Afetr all, that is the precise reason as to why expectations for the squad were as lofty as they can be before their campaign began. In fact, the 76ers front office, led by Daryl Morey and Elton Brand, was on a hot streak of well-acclaimed maneuvers spanning across seasons. Put simply, the team was clearly in a position where they should be able to contend for the championship and snap a title drought lasting more than four decades.
The perceived start of Morey really flashing his savvy body of work was when he managed to flip the detrimental Ben Simmons situation into a window to snag a former MVP —- James Harden. While the latter was ultimately not the player who could get them over the hump, the 76ers at least looked like bona fide competitors in the championship loop. Sadly, things went awry.
The James Harden blockbuster trade is looking worse for the 76ers
You probably already know the wild ride in the summer of 2023 when Harden forced his way out after a public feud with Morey. At that time, though, the 76ers were universally held to have made the right move, especially as the deal allowed them to fully unleash Maxey while opening up massive cap space which the front office primarily used to sign Paul George last offseason.
Unfortunately, aside from Maxey thriving with even more usage sans Harden, the 76ers have not really had any tangible benefits arising from Harden’s exit. In fact, his main offering — playmaking — has since become elusive for the ball club, while his spiritual successor in George has been utterly disappointing.
Meanwhile, Harden has really flourished with the Clippers, leading LA to the playoffs in a jampacked West despite Kawhi Leonard missing a huge chunk of their campaign. His team has a legitimate chance to make a deep playoff run whiel the 76ers slumber their way into the lottery.
In hindsight, the Philadelphia 76ers probably should have taken the other road during the James Harden fiasco by sticking with the player moreso than the executive. But everything is buried under hard reality right now, and with history only touting a pat in the back to offer, the franchise can only look forward.