Your Move, Daryl…James Harden Is There

The drama between James Harden and the Houston Rockets could be reaching a turning point. With the 8 time All-Star and former MVP James Harden currently sitting out of training camp after previously requesting a trade, he is now reportedly open to a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This news comes after weeks of speculation regarding Harden’s future and possible move to the Brooklyn Nets, as he indicated was his preference. But if you will remember, there was another team at the top of Harden’s list when the news first broke: The Philadelphia 76ers. While Brooklyn seems to have better assets to entice Houston, any talks between the two sides quickly dissolved. So far there has been no communication between Houston and Philadelphia, as it is reported Daryl Morey remains “adamant” Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are off limits in any deal.

For the Sixers, this is a no brainer. A Simmons-Harden-Embiid trio has dynasty potential. However, the logistics are a bit more complicated. As mentioned before, the Brooklyn Nets clearly have the more attractive assets such as young studs Caris Levert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarret Allen. The best Philadelphia could do is offer some combination of Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, draft picks and their newly acquired $8M trade exception. Houston will have to accept they will never get back equal value for Harden, so this comes down to whom they’d rather do business with.

While I find it hard to believe Houston would really prefer any package over the one Brooklyn can offer, GM Daryl Morey always seems to have a trick up his sleeve when it comes to getting a deal done. Plus his relationship with the Rockets organization as their former GM could give Philly the upperhand. However, this could also very well be a ploy by Harden to convince Brooklyn to be more aggressive in their negotiations.

For now, all we can do is wait and see who will blink first. Houston could easily hold firm and play out this season with that cloud hanging over their heads, as Harden is under contract for the next two years. But the longer this goes on, they risk losing more in any possible deal, as teams will be unwilling to give up more without any long term commitments from Harden. Philadelphia’s front office needs to work hard and work fast if they are to seize the opportunity to bring multiple championships to this city. This is the type of deal that can define a franchise for the next decade. Your move, Daryl.