REPORT: James Harden was Incredibly Close to Joining the Philadelphia 76ers Instead of Brooklyn Nets

The hype around James Harden joining the Brooklyn Nets still hasn’t settled down. Brooklyn are now a superteam with a ‘Big 3,’ but the scenario could’ve panned out differently if the Philadelphia 76ers had pushed for the move as well.

In fact, the franchise thought they were getting Harden, but it ended up in disappointment. The Nets were ready to bring James Harden in at any cost.

They acquired him through a mega 4-team trade, and this speaks a lot about the quality the 2018 MVP brings to the court. But, as per recent revelation, it seems that the Sixers believed they were leading the race to sign Harden! 

Philadelphia 76ers thought they completed the deal to acquire Harden

Well, this would’ve made things more interesting! Imagine Harden joining the 76ers instead of the Nets. Of course, Philly would have had to give up Ben Simmons, but a Harden-Joel Embiid combination would have been more enticing anyway. 

The Nets already have 2 superstars, and Harden just made them a tougher force to reckon with. But joining Philly would’ve been a different scenario completely.

According to ‘The Philadelphia Inquirer’s’ Keith Pompey, the Sixers thought they had finalized the deal to sign Harden, but things didn’t end up in their favor. 

“But the Sixers thought they had a deal for Harden done, according to sources. The team won’t come out and say it, but Morey pushed hard to reunite with the 2018 MVP.

“Simmons and Thybulle were even informed by their agents on Wednesday of an expected trade,” Pompey wrote in his report. 

Moreover, Pompey also hinted at why the deal between the Houston Rockets and the Sixers didn’t come through. Daryl Morey left his GM role in Houston and became Philly’s General Manager during the 2020 offseason. This might have forced Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta to not deal Harden to the 76ers out of spite. 

Moreover, one of Pompey’s sources also informed that the Rockets never got back to the Sixers after hearing from the Nets about the possible 4-team trade. We all know what happened next. 

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Will James Harden fit into the Nets’ system?

The mega trade deal has reunited former teammates Kevin Durant and James Harden. They played alongside each other during their OKC days in the early 2010s, but a lot has changed since then. 

Moreover, the Harden-Durant combo now has to thrive alongside another superstar in Kyrie Irving, who’ll demand equal attention as the talented duo.

The ‘Big 3’ in Brooklyn has been getting all the attention ever since Harden’s trade, but can he uphold his superstar status alongside Durant and Irving? 

This has been a question that has been lingering on everyone’s minds, and 2016 NBA champion Channing Frye recently expressed what he thinks of the whole situation. 

“He’s a willing passer, and I think that’s the biggest part of my emphasis. We joke around and there’s been issues with his conditioning, but at the end, James Harden is a hooper,” Frye said of Harden. 

Besides Channing Frye, there are a lot of people who are counting on James Harden to perform with the Nets. He will undoubtedly put up a show with his new teammates, but can they go all the way and win the championship?

ALSO READ- James Harden Ready to Make all the Sacrifices for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at Brooklyn Nets