So, Does James Harden Wanna Come to Philly After All?
It feels like forever ago, but a little over a year ago James Harden seemed to be on the verge of going to the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade with the Houston Rockets. However at the last minute the Brooklyn Nets swooped in to acquire Harden and brought more to the trade table. Harden himself seemed satisfied going to the Net as he formed a Big 3 with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, guaranteed to win an NBA championship.
Fast forward to today and we got this Kendrick Perkins “bomb”.
GOOOOD MORNING, Philadelphia
(🎥: @j_persicketti)
— Life of a Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) January 26, 2022
Things haven’t been so great in Brooklyn since Harden joined the team. Injuries from last season held Harden from being his superstar-self in the playoffs, forcing Kevin Durant to lead the Nets in the playoffs. Durant nearly pulled it off and could have if his foot was mere inches from the 3-point in Game 7 of the semi-finals against the eventual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks.
The Nets have been decent so far this season, but have been overshadowed by constant drama. Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status has forced him to only play road games and Kevin Durant is out for over a month due to an injury.
An article from Bleacher Report shows the many reasons why Harden is not pleased in Brooklyn and maybe seeking a new team after this season ends. Perhaps the most interesting part of Harden’s grievances with Brooklyn is by living in New York, he has to pay far more in state taxes as opposed to all those years he spent living in Texas.
Although it’s unlikely a deal will get done by the NBA trade deadline, a trade is possible in the offseason if both teams get the right compensation. Ben Simmons, the cloud that has been hovering over this surprisingly decent Sixers season, could actually be a piece in a potential trade that should have happened between Philly and Houston last year.
For Brooklyn, it could take more than just Simmons to trade with a competitor in the Eastern conference, role players and draft picks they lost in last year’s Harden trade will likely be needed to move him to Philly. He also has one year left on his current deal after the season. Since he will likely not sign an extension, Brooklyn will probably looking to move him with one year left on the contract.
If Harden finds his way to Philly after all, the possibilities are endless. Even with all of the drama and dysfunction with the Sixers over the past few years, Joel Embiid remains an attractive teammate for veteran all-stars looking for that ring. While the Robin to Embiid’s Batman has been sulking in the Batcave for the past year, he could get a Nightwing in James Harden. Even after four years worth of soul crushing playoff losses, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Sixers if they get Harden on the team.