“Still..Love Him”: James Harden’s Bitter End to 76ers Tenure Doesn’t Hurt Tyrese Maxey’s Undying Affection

James Harden‘s trade to the LA Clippers happened a year ago after several controversial issues at the Philadelphia 76ers. Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey stepped into Harden’s shoes soon after the latter left last year. Despite a year after the bitter split of Harden from the 76ers team, Maxey has immense respect for ‘Step Daddy’ for his learnings and teaching that he left for the former.

Tyrese still thinks highly of Harden, as he revealed in his interaction with senior NBA writer at ESPN, Marc J. Spears. Notably, Harden passed his pedagogy to Maxey while he was on Philly’s roster. 

Talking about Harden‘s impact on his play, the 76ers point-guard said, “I learned a lot from [Harden] though. I learned a lot about the game. I learned a lot about just manipulating defenses, how to score the ball, how to find my teammates.“ Maxey revealed how Harden will always be a respectable figure for him after all the hubbub around his trade. “I appreciate it, man. Still, to this day. Love him, ” Tyrese thanked the Clippers’ guard for helping him improve ball handling.

The Clippers guard has excellent shooting and playmaking abilities. However, James’ departure from Philly garnered much drama last year. Harden opted for a trade last year, considering the Sixers will be looking to give him to another team. But the former called Sixers president Daryl Morey “a liar” when his demand was not met. Harden told the NBA that Philly management should have given him a long-term contract. But that did not happen, and he chose to get out of Sixers.

James Harden Trade: A Windfall for Clippers and Sixers

Times were challenging for the Clippers when James Harden was traded from the 76ers. Notably, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were injured then. However, Harden appeared as a savior for the Clippers’ need for a floor-setting guard. The 10-time All-Star champion has been an assisting pillar for the team. In the last game against the Mavericks, Harden scored 22 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden’s trade was a well-planned masterstroke. Sixers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev to the LA Clippers for Kenyon Martin Jr., Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, and Marcus Morris. Daryl Morey would have been lying $45 million above the cap space if he had not traded for Harden last year. If Sixers player Tucker opts to choose the $11.5 million player option for the 2024-25 season, then Sixers will have the opportunity to create $55 million in cap space.

Considering the pros of trading Harden to the Clippers, the 76ers have more flexibility now. Moreover, the Sixers might be looking for a young third co-star to play alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, flaunting their long-term goals. It will be fascinating to watch how Daryl Morey plans his future moves to enhance the Sixers’ roster.