James Harden Wants to Go to Brooklyn, But He Fits Better in Philadelphia

It’s already a big day for the Sixers. On the night of the NBA Draft Darryl Morey waved his magic wand and sent away Al Horford and his bloated contract over to Oklahoma City and got Danny Green in return.

With that terrible contract finally gone the Sixers have some cap room to acquire James Harden, the player who made Morey a household name.

Of course trading for Harden is going to be easier said than done. The Beard himself has reportedly told the Rockets that he prefers a trade to the Brooklyn Nets instead of a huge payday to stay in Houston.

It’s easy to see why he wants to go to Brooklyn. Harden has been one of the NBA’s best players for the past decade but has come up short in the playoffs every year. By joining his former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the Nets will instantly become a favorite to go to the NBA Finals.

In theory having three of the biggest names in the NBA on the same team will be huge, but in reality it will probably easier said than done. Along with an all-time great scorer like Durant, Brooklyn will have to figure out how to deal with having two ball dominant players in Irving and Harden. The Beard may have to be relegated to his 6th Man status that he was in Oklahoma City in order for things to click in Brooklyn. That will certainly be a challenge for a coaching staff that’s a reunion of the Seven Seconds of Less Phoenix Suns of the mid-2000s.

Brooklyn maybe the sexy place to go (something that could only be said for the Nets franchise when Dr. J was on them in the ABA) but it’s really Philadelphia where Harden would fit the best. It’s the exact splash Morey should make to assure that things are changing in Philly.

The only obstacles for Morey making a Harden deal are

A. Are the Rockets ticked off at him for leaving with the impression that he’ll take some time off and take another job right away?

B. Either Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid will have be included in the deal.

While it would be tough to say goodbye to one of the two faces of the Sixers over the past decade. If it’s Simmons then it would certainly be awkward to get rid of him after he introduced those unpopular Boathouse Row jerseys. If it’s Embiid then Sixers fans will say goodbye to their most beloved player since Allen Iverson who provided plenty of great memories on-and-off the court. But moving on from either one of those two will be necessary in order to go forward.

It would makes sense to keep Simmons and pair him with Harden because he’s one of the best non-shooting players in the NBA, which would allow Harden to take as many shots as he wants. If Embiid and Harden team up it’ll certainly be quite the entertaining pairing, but would more likely implode after a couple of years than last in longevity.

And there are obviously the concerns with Harden’s history of terrible playoff performances transferring to Philadelphia. Maybe a change of scenery into the Eastern Conference with a younger sidekick is just what he needs to get over the hump.

Even if the Harden experiment doesn’t work out, it’ll still be more entertaining to see it unfold over the next few years before the Sixers inevitably blow it up and start over. Considering how not-fun Philly basketball was in 2020, the complete opposite could unfold in 2021 and beyond.

By Mike McCarrick | November 19, 2020
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