Daryl Morey Could be Looking for NBA Draft Picks in James Harden Trade
After opting into his deal, James Harden thought he’d be on the move out of Philadelphia sooner than later. But with no impending deal on the horizon, it seems all parties are in for what could be a messy split.
And that, as we’ve seen before, could lead to the eventual departure of reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who could be nearing his wit’s end after several early playoff exits in Philadelphia.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports recently reported that “For Morey, a teardown could be better than another outright failure in the East.”
A full rebuild could make some sense for the Sixers, who have time and again lost out in the first or second round of the NBA Playoffs. They’re not going to see return on investment for Harden, and nearly all pathways forward lead to having a worse product than they rolled out last season.
Even still, having Embiid as the epicenter of any team could be enough to make them a contender.
Regardless of whether Embiid is apart of future plans or not, picks could very well be what Morey is in search of. Essentially the NBA’s currency, picks have long been used to facilitate deals for win-now players or usher newly rebuilding teams into a new phase.
“League sources told Yahoo Sports contrary to popular belief, Morey isn’t stuck on receiving Clippers guard Terance Mann back in a Harden deal, but is coveting future first-round draft picks with the so-called “Seven Year Rule” in effect.”
Regardless of what Harden is able to net in a deal, it the Sixers will be an interesting project to watch moving forward.
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