The Philadelphia 76ers have recently acquired one of their top targets on the trade market – All-Star shooting guard James Harden. The Sixers may have failed to get Harden last summer, but they got an opportunity to pursue him again when he expressed his desire to leave the Brooklyn Nets. Hours before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, the Sixers have agreed to trade Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two future first-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap.
James Harden Tried To Recruit Joel Embiid To Houston
The Sixers have been aggressively pursuing Harden since Simmons demanded a trade last summer. Aside from his connection with team president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, Harden is viewed as a good on-court fit with Joel Embiid. Also, according to Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden has long been interested in teaming up with Embiid.
During their time together with the Houston Rockets, Harden reportedly "pushed" Morey to bring Embiid to Space City.
"Harden might not have a direct history with Embiid, but he has always respected him. He even pushed Morey to try and trade for him in Houston, sources said."James Harden Demanded A Trade To Sixers
Harden was very interested in joining forces with Embiid that when he talked to Nets general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, he specifically demanded a trade to the Sixers.
"Finally, as Thursday's trade deadline neared, Harden spoke up and told Marks and Tsai that he preferred to play for the Sixers. For weeks, Harden hoped he could avoid the public backlash of asking out of his second franchise in consecutive years, but his passive-aggressiveness hadn't worked in selling the Nets on the idea they had to move him. Over FaceTime calls, Harden told his GM and owner that he wanted a trade to Philadelphia, sources said."James Harden's On-Court Impact On Sixers
Giving up Simmons, Curry, Drummond, and two future first-rounders for Harden is undeniably worth it for the Sixers. The arrival of Harden in Philadelphia is expected to significantly improve the Sixers' offensive efficiency that currently ranks No. 14 in the league, scoring 109.0 points per 100 possessions. He would give the Sixers one of the league's best active scorers, as well as an incredible playmaker, rebounder, and floor spacer.
This season, Harden is averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Modern Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant
Many people are thrilled with the pairing of Harden and Embiid in Philadelphia. While talking about the real reason why "The Beard" decided to leave Brooklyn, Kendrick Perkins called the Harden-Embiid tandem as the "next version" of the Los Angeles Lakers' legendary duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. O'Neal seems to agree with Perkins but for things to work in Philadelphia, he said that Harden and Embiid would need to have a "system in place" and should respect each other.
]]>The Inquisitr
