Rockets Enlist Their Demand for James Harden, Ben Simmons Alone Won’t Do for 76ers

James Harden has been at the center of multiple controversies this offseason. Before the start of the offseason, Harden rocked the Houston Rockets with his demand for a trade.

He hasn’t yet shown up for any of the training sessions with the Rockets, making it clear that he wants a trade. Harden apparently preferred a trade to the Nets, but realistically that won’t be possible as the Nets won’t be ready to give up any of their stars.

Another possible destination is the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are the team best suited for this trade. They have a young star in Ben Simmons who is a great trade asset. NBA insider Yaron Weitzman recently reported that the Rockets had started trade talks with the 76ers.

This is just the start of a very long negotiation process. The 76ers surely value their young star and will hope that they don’t have to give up 3 first round picks. It will be very interesting to see what transpires between the two sides.

Why 76ers might be a better destination than the Nets for James Harden?

Imagining James Harden alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is outright scary. Durant and Harden are generational scorers, while Kyrie might be the most skilled player NBA has ever seen.

However, the biggest uncertainty will be their fit. While Durant can play with either of the players, Kyrie and Harden is a very questionable fit.

Both the players demand the ball in their hand, where one is willing to make the play, the other often takes contested step-back threes. They have very different play styles and it will be very difficult to incorporate the same in a system.

The 76ers, on the other hand, are tailormade for a player like Harden. Daryl Morey, who was recently appointed as the 76ers’ GM, has brought in two experienced shooters in Seth Curry and Danny Green.

With Harden on the ball, Philly will have a player who is basically a walking bucket. There have been a lot of questions surrounding the fit between Simmons and Embiid. Harden is a much more traditional guard who will be a much better fit with Embiid.

Harden moving to the 76ers ticks all the boxes on paper, but are Philly willing to let go of their young star?