The Philadelphia 76ers finally did the deed — and it had to be done. After months of drama, James Harden finally got what he wanted: a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Woj Bomb that the Sixers traded Harden to the Clippers dropped just as North American basketball fans were about to hit the sack and call it a night.

In exchange, the Sixers received a package of Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap to acquire the former league MVP. That's it? You'd think Philadelphia would get more for a future Hall of Famer and someone who just averaged 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists the season before.

The move came as a bit of a shock, as the Clippers reportedly paused trade discussions with the Sixers. So why did Daryl Morey do this deal? Did the Sixers need to trade Harden now? Could they have played the waiting game with the Clippers and perhaps received a better return? Could they have waited on another team to show interest in the 10-time NBA All-Star?

Here are three reasons why the Sixers had to trade James Harden to the Clippers.

Daryl Morey had no other choice

Really, Daryl Morey had no other choice but to accept the best deal the Los Angeles Clippers had on the table for James Harden. Based on the return and the timing of the deal, it's clear that the Sixers had zero leverage whatsoever.

In contrast to the Damian Lillard situation in Portland, Philadelphia didn't have the luxury of fielding the market. The return suggests there was no other market for the three-time scoring champ. His contract situation is likely what swayed other teams from trying to trade for Harden.

Many speculated that Terance Mann would have to be the centerpiece in this package. But previous reports from the Clippers' camp suggested they were keen on keeping Mann.

So it turned out, Mann wasn't included in the deal. The Clippers got away with acquiring the reigning assists leader without needing to include one of their more reliable rotation pieces. Still, it was baffling to see the Sixers settle for a deal like this, especially when they really could have used a solid defensive stud like Mann alongside Tyrese Maxey.

Heck, the Sixers couldn't even get Norman Powell, who would have at least alleviated the scoring they lose from Harden.

Instead they get guys who are fringe rotation players on the Clippers. Marcus Morris has yet to make his season debut and is on the downside of his career. Robert Covington has started in three games for Los Angeles but is averaging just 3.0 points. Nicolas Batum has only scored eight points this season. And KJ Martin has mostly seen just garbage time minutes.

Sure, they're getting picks in the deal. But what does that do in the Sixers' pursuit of a championship? That's not going to make Joel Embiid jump out the bed. Or maybe it will — out of disgust and shock.

The James Harden drama was a distraction

Another reason why the Sixers needed to pull the trigger now is because Daryl Morey likely wanted to get it over with. The James Harden drama was becoming a distraction and a dark cloud that hovered over the franchise to begin the season.

It's never great to start off the season with a massive elephant in the room and Morey likely wanted to get that elephant out as soon as he can. We don't fully know what is going on in that Philadelphia locker room or at the training facility. But it's likely that the situation was becoming uncomfortable for some guys on the team.

The Sixers still have title aspirations with Joel Embiid at the helm and they still have a serviceable supporting cast to surround the reigning NBA MVP. Now that the deed is done, Philadelphia can just focus on playing basketball.

Tyrese Maxey's emergence

Perhaps another reason why the Sixers made the James Harden trade is because of the emergence of Tyrese Maxey. After three games, Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse, and the rest of the Sixers brass saw enough: Maxey is a legitimate No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

The 22-year-old is off to a scorching start to his fourth NBA season. Through three games, Maxey is averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, including 56.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 91.3 percent from the freethrow line.

He isn't the playmaker Harden is, but he has proven so far that he can be the lead ball handler and playmaker on a contender. Maxey showed this  in flashes during the 2021-22 season, when he held down the fort for Philly during the Ben Simmons saga two years ago.

Maxey still thrived more as an off-ball player playing next to Harden. But the early returns so far this season suggest he is ready to take on a larger load on offense.