With the Heat, the Sixers are the big losers of the week. While the Bucks and the Celtics challenged each other in an arms race, with the respective arrivals of Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, the Sixers remained mired in its James Harden soap opera. To make matters worse, Joel Embiid made irony about the movements in the East with a tweet which he knows the secret: “This offseason was fun. Dying of laughter. »
This off-season was fun lmao
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 1, 2023
Can the Clippers unblock the situation?
A yellow laugh because the Sixers are dragging the Harden situation like a ball and chain. They were able to recruit, and rather correctly with Patrick Beverley (Bulls), Mo Bamba (Lakers), Danny Green (Cavaliers) and finally Kelly Oubre Jr. But these reinforcements are generally only of interest if Harden stays, or he is replaced by a player of the same caliber. Reinforcements who know that all the questions on “media day” will focus on James Harden, who requested his transfer and insulted President Daryl Morey.
A few hours before “media day”, what exactly is the trend? In terms of rumors, it’s dead calm. The Clippers, who missed out on Malcolm Brogdon and Jrue Holiday, would have always had their eye on Harden, but they still don’t have much to offer. According to Yahoo! Sports, they would not want to let go of two first rounds of Draft and/or Terance Mann. This shows that Harden is clearly not a priority. For their part, the Heat, who were overtaken on Damian Lillard and Holiday, would not be interested in a player who will be a free agent in a year.
James Harden should skip the recovery
As a result, Harden finds himself isolated, and in his podcast, Matt Barnes warned him : “Does this NBA still need James Harden? ». Given the lack of interest shown in him, it’s a real question. Even if he remains the best passer in the NBA, and one of the most complete backs, Harden has damaged his image and reputation for two years.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he has not planned to come to “media day” this Monday. Will he also skip training camp in Colorado? It is possible since the Inquirer assures that it “ no longer wants anything to do with the Sixers“. A situation reminiscent of that experienced by the same Sixers with Ben Simmons two years ago. The Australian point guard refused to train and play for Philadelphia. The conflict only found its conclusion in February with the exchange between Ben Simmons and… James Harden.
