The James Harden controversy continues to loom large over the Philadelphia 76ers as they prepare for the regular season. The unhappy player wanted to play for the team, but he stays off the roster for private reasons. Daryl Morey has had the same position when Harden initially asked for a trade. He is waiting for a transaction to materialize that maintains the Sixers in a position to contend for a title, much to the Ben Simmons trade saga from two years ago.
Patience worked out for Morey and the Sixers in the past, but one analyst feels they should change their approach. While appearing on ESPN’s Get Up, Tim Legler shared his thoughts on a potential Harden trade. “Philly has to recalibrate what they think they can get back,” Legler said. “They need to make this move, they need to do it sooner rather than later because a not fully bought in James Harden is just going to drag you down and continue to be an anchor around Joel Embiid’s ankles.”
Instead of trying to flip Harden for another star-caliber player, Legler feels the Sixers should bolster their supporting cast and let Tyrese Maxey be the second option to Joel Embiid.
You need to move on from him, you need to get role players that fit with Embiid, give the ball to Maxey and let’s see what his ceiling is,” he continued. “It’s time to make that move.” While Tyrese Maxey looks ready to make the leap, this approach might not yield the Sixers the results they are looking for. The Eastern Conference has become an arms race, and the only way to keep up is with more star talent.
Both the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks significantly improved this offseason. The Sixers need to get something in return for Harden that gets them another elite player to go with Embiid and Maxey if they hope to stay within striking distance of those teams.
