Despite the ongoing failure of James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.
The 76ers appear to be behind the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in terms of talent, but are considered a top-three contender in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia is counting on the efforts of reigning MVP Joel Embiid to get them back to the postseason, even if reaching the Eastern Conference finals is about as tough as the race for the standings has ever been.
Embiid has unfortunately been injured at the wrong time for several years, so the organization hopes he can stay healthy when the games matter the most.
The 76ers looked to bolster their big man depth in free agency when they signed Mo Bamba, though the team also relied on Montrezl Harrell to be a rotation fixture for them. But Philadelphia decided to waive Harrell before opening night, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Unfortunately, Harrell suffered an ACL/meniscus injury earlier in the offseason and is expected to miss the first few months of the regular season.
When Philadelphia crossed the 15-man roster limit, they had to make cuts, and a veteran big man made the most sense.
Although Harrell is not a very good defender and is undersized as a center, he is a player with infectious energy who can score well against opponents.
If he can prove he’s healthy, he could finally sign with the right team next year.
