NBA Rumors: Daryl Morey is hoping to convince James Harden to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers for one more season.
The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly seeking to find a trade that makes sense for James Harden. However, considering he’s essentially an expiring contract heading into next season, it could prove to be increasingly difficult for the Sixers to find fair value on the open trade market for Harden this offseason.
That could end up complicating this entire process for Harden. So much so that there’s hope in the Sixers’ organization that perhaps they could flip Harden on the idea of moving on from Philadelphia. But that could end up being a whole lot more easier said than done.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, even though the Sixers are still touch-and-go with trade talks with the LA Clippers that are centered around Harden, there’s hope that Daryl Morey could still convince Harden to stay in Philadelphia for one more season.
It would be an effective way for the Sixers to avoid what is looking more and more like a possible “gap year” this upcoming season. It’s hard to imagine the Sixers getting a return for Harden that would keep them championship competitive in the Eastern Conference next season. That’s not exactly a good look from the team with Joel Embiid coming off an NBA MVP season.
The last thing that the Sixers need to do is waste a year of Embiid’s prime. For lack of a better phrase, that’s exactly what they would be doing if they got an underwhelming return for Harden via trade.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a fighting chance to win the East with James Harden
While retaining Harden may not seem like a banner idea for the Sixers, it’s a whole lot better than the current alternatives that the team has on the table. And let’s not forget, the Sixers, before blowing a 3-2 series lead, were on the cusp of finally making an Eastern Conference Finals.
It’s not outrageous to think that the Sixers running it back, with a few tweaks here and there, is a good idea. At the very least, the Sixers have a fighting chance with Harden and Embiid. I can’t firmly say that they will have a fighting chance to win the East without Harden.
The question is, does Harden believe that and is that enough to keep him in Philadelphia for one more season?