Daryl Morey Following Familiar Blueprint in James Harden Saga
Dating back to the early months of the offseason, the James Harden trade saga has been the biggest story surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. Recent updates reveal he is sticking with a familiar game plan as he seeks out a return for the disgruntled All-Star.
During an appearance on NBA Today Thursday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski detailed the latest on a possible Harden trade. He stated that Morey's goal is to take a potential package from the LA Clippers and flip that into an All-Star-level guard who can replace Harden.
"Daryl Morey's motivation is whatever he gets from the Clippers, he wants to be able to flip that for another All-Star level guard that he could replace James Harden with," Woj said.
Based on these comments, it appears Morey is following the same blueprint that he had with Ben Simmons. Instead of rushing into a deal just to get it done, he is waiting for something to come along that keeps the Sixers in the mix to compete for a title.
Morey also drove him this point on Media Day when addressing Harden's absence. He mentioned that he wants to resolve the issue in the best way for the team and all parties involved.
"[James Harden] continues to seek a trade and we're working with his representation to resolve that in the best way for the 76ers and hopefully all parties," Morey said.
Morey stood his ground with Simmons two years ago, and it resulted in him acquiring another All-Star to pair alongside Joel Embiid. With just two weeks to go until the regular season, that appears to be the same goal with Harden. Only time will tell if Morey will be able to yield a similar level of return a second time around.
