The Philadelphia 76ers enjoyed a strong 2022-23 season. With Joel Embiid on the roster, the MVP, the future appears bright for Philadelphia. A recent James Harden rumor surfaced though that doesn't bode well for the chances of him remaining with the Sixers, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
James Harden does not want to return to the Sixers if Doc Rivers remains head coach, per @ramonashelburne.
“One person said to me it would be hard for me to see James wanting to come back and play for Doc again.”
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 16, 2023
“James Harden was not all that supportive of Doc Rivers in his press conference yesterday,” Shelburne said on ESPN. “I think behind the scenes… one person said it would be hard for me to see James [Harden] wanting to come back and play for Doc [Rivers] again.”
Rivers' job security is already in question. Even if Harden was incredibly supportive of Rivers, there would be no guarantee that the 76ers would bring him back. But with Harden rumored to not be the biggest fan of the Sixers' head coach, that certainly doesn't help Rivers' case.
James Harden is a key piece to the puzzle for Sixers. His ability to find the open man and dish out assists while still scoring at a respectable level was important for Philadelphia all season long. The duo of Harden and Embiid is among the best in the league. The 76ers will need to decide if they believe the Embiid-Harden duo can lead Philadelphia to the NBA Finals within the next couple of seasons.
If they choose to attempt to keep both players, one has to wonder what the future will hold for Doc Rivers. Based on Shelburne's report, the odds of Rivers and Harden both being apart of the organization next year appear to be slim. That said, this is only a report and we haven't heard Harden specifically say he won't play for Rivers.
This will certainly be a crucial storyline to follow during the NBA offseason.
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