As the 2023-24 NBA season’s opening week is underway, the Philadelphia 76ers are stuck with James Harden’s trade request. Reports continue to circulate that the 76ers’ main dance partner in trade conversations, the Los Angeles Clippers, don’t want to part ways with multiple first-round picks and Terance Mann.
During his tenure as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, Daryl Morey hasn’t been shy about his goal to bring star players in to team up with Joel Embiid. That has been Morey’s operating procedure during his time as a front office executive. Once again, he is gambling the season on access to another superstar, but first, he must move his old superstar, whom he has previously traded for. A feeling of deja vu has likely already kicked in by being in business with Harden again. At what point will that feeling reveal itself as a pattern?
Daryl Morey’s 2023 Season of Deja Vu
James Harden returned to Philadelphia on Tuesday night with his bags packed to join team on the road for Thursday vs. Bucks and Saturday vs. Raptors, but the 76ers have now asked him not to travel with the team, sources said. https://t.co/N7GONkU6l9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 25, 2023
Morey’s Pattern
How this season plays out for the 76ers will depend on the ending of Harden’s chapter in Philadelphia. While it is still unknown, a preview of what’s to come exists already. In recent history, Morey has traded Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Ben Simmons.
All those trades have had the same premise, varying in the specifics. Superstar A doesn’t want to be with the organization anymore, so he demands a trade. Morey, wary of acting too hastily, waits on the demand to find the best offer. Superstar A sits out training camp, practice, and then the regular season. This cycle hasn’t produced a lot of results for Morey. His trophy case sits empty, and his most recent accolade was making the 2018 Western Conference Finals. The return on investment hasn’t been good enough for an executive who is aggressive when it comes to trading for superstars.
Learning From the Past
Most people know that Morey prioritizes having at least two star players on his team rosters. Where he has run into hiccups recently is acquiring them. When the 76ers and Simmons’ relationship deteriorated, Morey held firm in not granting him his wish until he got the value he wanted. He never balked, even when Simmons and his camp refused any contact from the organization for help off the court.
The 76ers were an excellent team heading into that season, regardless of if Harden or Simmons were on the team. However, another star would have boosted their chances as a contender. After completing the deal for Harden, the 76ers played well, but an injury to Embiid ended their hopes. More so, it took a lot of work to get the chemistry right in a short time. But that is the risk with these types of trades: hedging towards what the best version of the team will be over what the team is at the moment. Some 76ers fans will look at the last three years and see a colossal waste of time and assets. It makes matters worse when all signs point to another trade cycle being the limiting factor for the 76ers this season.
Ramifications Coming
Reigning MVP Embiid is 29 years old. The focal point of the entire 76ers’ organization has a finite window to compete for a championship. Time is running out, so the seven-foot-plus big man could look elsewhere. From Embiid’s perspective, the 2023 season could wind up being a wash by Christmas. If that’s the case, then rumors, like the one floated this week, will start flying, linking him to other teams.
If Embiid is on the way out and a Harden trade hasn’t been completed, a full-scale teardown in Philadelphia is on the horizon. Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker, and even Tyrese Maxey are on the chopping block. Basically, 76ers fans can look at what happened to the Houston Rockets after Harden was traded in 2021. The Rockets went full tank mode and sold off every player and asset they had. Morey had no appetite to be a part of that in Houston, so it’s not out of the question that if things go that way in Philadelphia, Morey would not be directing it.
Can Things Be Fixed?
Can it all be resolved between Harden and the 76ers to the point where he plays for them again? Probably not. Harden has been MIA since the middle of training camp until today, and his repeated claims that Morey is “a liar” would make forgiveness unlikely. However, if a deal is done quickly, the new regime under Nick Nurse may manufacture something around Embiid and Maxey. Still, that team doesn’t feel like a title team.
The more pressing question is where the relationship is with Embiid. With how things have gone in his career, he can’t be blamed if he is dissatisfied with the 76ers. The worry is that the damage from last year’s playoffs and the Harden soap opera hit Embiid’s last nerve.
Much will be revealed in the season’s first month, including if Embiid is content with his situation. In all likelihood, Embiid might love playing under Nurse in a new system. This sounds like a longshot scenario, considering how the mission of the last four campaigns has been to find the right partner for their franchise cornerstone. Don’t count out Morey’s ability to pivot, either. In comparison, recent history has suggested that he is steadfast in decision-making, but if another big name becomes available, Morey will throw his chips in.
