What Are Joel Embiid’s Thoughts on James Harden Trade Rumors?
The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with another disgruntled veteran point guard this offseason. Just two summers following the Ben Simmons saga, which led to months of a holdout before the Sixers finally found a deal to help them part ways with the three-time All-Star, the Sixers have been requested to trade the ten-time All-Star James Harden.
Coming off his first full run with the Sixers in 2022-2023, Harden had a player option on his contract for next season. Considering he signed a discounted deal with the Sixers last summer, Harden anticipated a financial battle between the Houston Rockets and the Sixers to land his services long-term.
The Rockets pivoted to former Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, offering him a max contract. The Sixers didn’t scoop up any starting ball handlers in free agency, but they refused to offer Harden a desirable contract in his eyes, which led him to make the unexpected move by picking up his player option.
Harden is under contract with the Sixers still, but he isn’t committed to playing for them at this time. When asked about the trade rumors, Harden’s MVP teammate Joel Embiid mentioned that he was “disappointed” in the situation.
“I also understand,” Embiid told Showtime’s Rachel Nichols. “It’s business. People make decisions, and I’m more appreciative of the way he’s handled the whole situation. We’re gonna be boys forever.”
Harden and Embiid found success as a duo throughout the 2022-2023 NBA season. For the second-straight year, Embiid led the NBA in scoring and was crowned the league’s Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career.
Meanwhile, Harden maintained a scoring average of over 20 points for the 13th consecutive season and led the league in assists for the second time in his career, dishing out 11 assists per game. The Sixers swept the Brooklyn Nets in round one of the 2023 playoffs before battling against the Boston Celtics for seven games in round two.
Unfortunately, Philly came up short while led by the Embiid-Harden duo once again. Despite the shortcomings, Embiid hopes Harden takes the floor for a third chance at making a run in the Eastern Conference next season.
“I want him to come back,” Embiid continued. “Obviously, so we can go out and accomplish what we want, which is to win a championship. So, hopefully, his mindset can be changed. Other than that, I’m just happy to be his friend. We’re close, and we’ve grown since he got here, and that’s what I’m excited about. I’m excited to keep that friendship for the rest of our lives.”
Lately, the Harden trade rumors have simmered down since it became public that the Los Angeles Clippers had a mutual interest in bringing the veteran guard out West. However, Embiid’s latest update not only confirms the rumors are real but it also indicates that Harden’s mind has yet to be changed.
The good news is that Harden has proven in past times that he’ll play while potential trade negotiations are happening. While resolving the issue by changing Harden’s mind or finding the right deal to make the team better would be the best-case scenarios — the Sixers have yet to reach either point this offseason.
