So … who is Daryl Morey chasing now?
With the conclusion of the long-awaited trade that sent James Harden from Philadelphia to the LA Clippers on Monday night – and thus ended one of the most controversial standoffs between a star player and a front-office executive in league history – the lack of clarity surrounding that important question means it’s nearly impossible to truly analyze what it all means for the Sixers.
Step 1 of Morey’s plan is complete where the 76ers president of basketball operations sent Harden to his destination of choice (along with PJ Tucker) in exchange for Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, Marcus Morris Sr. and draft picks. As I detailed earlier this month, those choices will be the most important if Morey is to salvage this situation that has turned so sour since the summer.
A quick refresher on what’s coming the Sixers’ way, according to league sources: A 2026 first-rounder (from the Clippers via Oklahoma City), a 2028 first-rounder, two second-rounders and a pick swap from the Clippers. As Morey sees it, his best chance to bring this Sixers team closer to title contention is to gather all the draft assets and find the kind of high-level player that somehow can replace the former MVP who just left town. And while he’s doing it, help quiet the rumblings among the Sixers’ rivals about reigning MVP Joel Embiid doing the same. That’s Step 2 here, and it remains to be seen if Morey can pull it off.
DEEP
James Harden trade grades: How did the Clippers and Sixers do on the deal?
Say what you will about Harden, but he leads the league in assists (10.7 per game) and still scores at a high level (21 ppg.) at age 33 while playing a key part in the 54-win Sixers in the 2022-23 season (and Embiid’s MVP campaign). On his best nights, he’s still a top-tier talent.
It’s safe to assume Morey has a list of targets for his possible replacement, but he also knows it could take some time for those players to become available, whoever they are. That’s the inescapable reality that comes at this time of year when most teams remain optimistic enough about their prospects that the willingness to deal is pretty minimal. The annual increase in desperation doesn’t usually come until much later — like, say, closer to the league’s Feb. 8 trade date.
Morey will surely share his perspective in the coming days, but it stands to reason that three main factors played a part in this choice to make The Beard once and for all:
• The draft assets coming the Sixers’ way are finally enough that he feels reasonably confident about his ability to eventually complete the aforementioned Step 2, even if the Clippers end up holding Terance Mann.
• The uncertainty surrounding Harden and the way he will choose to exist with the Sixers is further troubling after the league announced Thursday that it is “researching the facts” about Harden’s absence from the season opener of the Sixers against Milwaukee. He has yet to play this season and was benched in street clothes for Philadelphia’s Sunday home opener. The possibility of increased trouble and discomfort in this fractured front is very high.
• The Sixers have looked good without Harden, winning two of three games while posting a net rating of 10.9 (small sample size and all) behind only the Clippers and Nuggets. Philly nearly upset Milwaukee’s opening night (118-117), then won in Toronto (114-107) and at home against Portland (126-98).
More specifically – and importantly – the early revelation that Tyrese Maxey was on his way to becoming an All-Star was invaluable. The fourth-year guard is averaging 30.3 points so far (he averaged 20.3 last season), 6.3 assists (up from 3.5) and 6.7 rebounds (up from 2.9).
But wait, there’s more: After shooting 42.7 percent from long range two seasons ago (on 4.1 attempts) and 43.4 percent last season (on 6.2 attempts), he’s hitting 56 percent of his 3- pointers in greater volume (8.3 per game ). It’s early, yes, but Maxey makes an impressive case for this increased workload on the offensive end to become his new norm under first-year coach Nick Nurse.
It’s no surprise that Embiid is looking like his MVP-caliber self right now (averaging 31.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.0 blocks per game). Tobias Haris and Kelly Oubre Jr. are both averaging nearly 20 points per game.
Put all those developments together and you begin to understand why the time has finally come for the NBA’s latest superstar saga to end. The question now — one that doesn’t yet have an answer — is whether there will be another star headed to Philadelphia in the coming months.
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(Photo of James Harden and Joel Embiid: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
