PHILADELPHIA — Well, there you have it.
The belief around the league was it was always a matter of if, not when, James Harden would express his desire to play for the 76ers.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that the perennial All-NBA guard told the Houston Rockets that he would be open to a trade to the Sixers or possibly other contenders. This comes after he had requested to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, for whom Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have formed a superstar nucleus. Harden has not reported to the Rockets' training camp.
The 2018 league MVP would be a perfect fit for the Sixers. They need a guy who they can depend on to consistently get a bucket. They need someone who can finish isolation plays taking opponents off the dribble or burying step-back 3-pointers. They need someone who can strike fear in defenders while making things easier for Joel Embiid.
There has been talk that Ben Simmons would have to be included in any package with the Rockets to get the deal done. Philly says its wants to keep the tandem of Simmons and Embiid together.
"You are not them from us," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday after practice when asked about addressing players amid the trade rumors. "You know, as long as you don't hear them from us, you should be very comfortable.
"We like our team, man. I tell you that team I just watched out there is really special. And so, those rumors, none are coming from us."
But if they do let Harden, 31, go, Houston wants a young cornerstone player and picks in return. The Nets can't offer that, but the Sixers can in Simmons.
Who knows if the Rockets will come off their hard stance now they they've acquired point guard John Wall, who like Simmons, 24, is ball dominant.
"We feel very good where we are at," Sixers new president of basketball operation Daryl Morey said in the wee hours of Nov. 19 when asked if the team needed to make an additional move. "Obviously, our job is to always look for opportunities. But we feel very good about where we are right now."
Morey's comments came after the Sixers had agreed to add much-needed sharpshooters Danny Green and Seth Curry while trading Al Horford, Josh Richardson and other assets in separate draft-night deals. The additions of Green and Curry along with rookie draft pick Isaiah Joe gives the Sixers the collective shooting upgrade they haven't had since the 2017-18 season.
Harden is a go-to perimeter guy. Morey knows that more than anyone. Remember, the former Houston Rockets general manager acquired Harden in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 27, 2012. At the time, Harden was the Thunder's sixth man.
But with Morey and the Rockets, he made eight straight All-Star appearances and seven All-NBA teams, earned three scoring titles, and was named the 2018 league MVP.
The question is what it will take to get him, and how much are the Sixers willing to give up.
"Joel and Ben are going to be here a long time," Morey said hours after the draft. "We feel like all of the guys we took (in the draft) are very good fits with those guys."
