Sixers News: Doc Rivers Offers Advice to James Harden

Now as an outsider looking in at the Philadelphia 76ers, free agent head coach Doc Rivers dished his thoughts on the saga surrounding James Harden and the Sixers.

“Just play, and it will work out,” Rivers said regarding Harden on ESPN Wednesday. “James is a terrific player. If he has to go to Philadelphia, clearly, that’s not the situation he wants to be in, going by what he has said. Just go and play. Be a pro. I think it will all work out. He’s in a tough spot. We all know that. It’s hard to walk back all the things that have been said. It’s a tough situation for him, but I think he’ll be able to get through it.”

For the last two seasons, Doc Rivers coached Harden on the Sixers. Following the 2023 playoffs, Harden described his relationship with Rivers as “OK.” Although Rivers was hoping to get another shot at coaching the Sixers in 2023-2024, as he was under contract for the next couple of years, the Sixers cut the cord early.

At this point, Rivers is replaced by Nick Nurse. While some saw the firing of Rivers as a potential favor to stay in good graces with Harden, the ten-time All-Star guard still wants to be traded at this point.

Over the summer, Harden made it clear he had little desire to play for the Sixers again. Hoping for a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden grew frustrated when he was notified the Sixers would stop negotiating with the Western Conference contenders as talks weren’t getting far.

While Harden skipped the Sixers’ media day event last Monday and failed to show up for the first day of training camp in Colorado the following day, Harden re-joined his Sixers teammates for practice last Wednesday. Since then, he has participated in every practice, doing all he can to avoid becoming a distraction.

When the Sixers faced the Boston Celtics for the preseason opener on Sunday, Harden was not active. The situation will remain the same on Wednesday when the Sixers partake in a rematch with the Celtics at home.

It’s unclear if Harden will indeed play for the Sixers again or not if a trade doesn’t get done soon. Harden has played with both of his former organizations while holding out hope for a trade, so there is a chance he will follow a similar path in Philadelphia. While it won’t be the ideal scenario for Harden, his former head coach seems confident it will all work out in due time.