Article Written by Michael Doctorovitz
Originally Published on August 15, 2023
The Philadelphia 76ers have become the laughing stock of the NBA. One could argue that they are the most discombobulated, poorly run franchise in all of the four major sports..
On Monday morning, a video surfaced of James Harden publicly bashing Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, who is also a friend of Harden’s.
Whatever. Good for Harden. I’m sure everyone is just so shocked that he is doing this again. In the last three or four years, Harden has forced himself out of two situations with a third one on the horizon. At this rate, the number of teams Harden will play for might be higher than his career playoff series victories.
The NBA should be exhausted from Harden doing this over and over. Just like how Sixers fans could and should be exhausted, disgusted and just down right over with the Sixers always being in the media for the wrong reasons. It’s almost like they are the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA.
If you are Daryl Morey, you had to make the Simmons for Harden trade. However, there were other offers for Ben Simmons that Morey refused to make because he said he was going to wait for the right piece and unfortunately, now, for the Sixers the piece was Harden.
Nobody knows what was promised to Harden or what really happened but what we do know is that all season long people were worried that Morey was going to do whatever Harden wanted to do and was going to give him a max deal. Well he didn’t. Good on Morey. Harden then OPTED IN to the remaining one year $35 million left on his contract and was expecting a trade. Well, again, good on Morey because trading Harden for Normal Powell and Marcus Morris does absolutely nothing for the Sixers.
Harden could have opted out of his contract and became a free agent but apparently was doing the Sixers a favor and opting in so that they will get compensation back for him. Will it be fair compensation? Probably not, because that is how the Sixers have been and how they always will be.
The solution: trade Harden, trade Joel Embiid, trade Tobias Harris if you can, keep Tyrese Maxey, get rid of Elton Brand and Daryl Morey and completely start over. Dark times for the Sixers are ahead again.
Michael Doctorovitz,
Columnist
The Locker Room
with Billy Schweim