The Philadelphia 76ers want to win another championship. They have three titles, but the last one came in 1983. Joel Embiid hopes to end the long drought. The Sixers have the top-end talent, so it is all about building the right roster around their stars.
Avoiding front-office mistakes should be their top priority. Philly cannot afford another failed draft pick, regrettable trade, or missed opportunity in free agency. Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey give them one of the best Big 3s in the league, but the Sixers need role players that lift them in the playoffs.
The 76ers are no strangers to making personnel blunders. There have been massive misses in every aspect of team building. Here is a look at the franchise’s most regrettable moves and what could have happened instead.
11. Trading for James Harden
The 76ers were drama-filled during Harden’s less than two-year stay in Philadelphia. They dealt with Ben Simmons before that. The All-Star struggled in the playoffs before holding out and demanding a trade. Simmons was rumored to draw interest from several teams (subscription required), but Daryl Morey decided to acquire Harden from the Nets.
Morey traded for The Beard in Houston and helped make him a superstar. The pair’s relationship was the driving factor, but Harden was not the perfect fit in Philly.
His ball-dominant style struggled to mesh with Joel Embiid and the 76ers were bounced in the second round of the playoffs in both of Harden’s years in Philly. Things took a turn for the worse in the 2023 offseason as Harden’s relationship with Morey broke down. He demanded a trade and credit to the Sixers lead executive for getting multiple first-round picks from the Clippers.
The 76ers should have traded Ben Simmons elsewhere
Shams Charania reported the Lakers, Knicks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers all wanted Simmons during his holdout. Fans will never know what packages were discussed, but landing several picks would have been more valuable than Harden. Morey is never afraid to be bold and the 76ers could have found a way to acquire a superior fitting star next to Embiid.
The James Harden trade got worse with age and resulted in total disaster. It was a regrettable move that the Sixers wish they could redo, but the return for Harden set the franchise up to sign Paul George and remain in contention.