There's no doubt the New York Knicks are keeping close tabs on Joel Embiid as his long-term future in the City of Brotherly Love potentially hangs on the precipice. Before turning their implicit attention toward eventually acquiring the NBA's reigning MVP, though, the Knicks held early talks with Daryl Morey on trading for fellow Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden.

Shortly after Harden rocked the league in late June by opting into the final year of his contract and requesting a trade from Philly, the Sixers' front office brass had “initial conversations” with the Knicks as well as LA Clippers, his preferred destination, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Preliminary discussions between New York and Philadelphia regarding Harden hadn't been previously reported. It's also hardly surprising they didn't yield any traction. Not only has Harden made abundantly clear he wants to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in his native Los Angeles, but the league's reigning assist leader would be a poor fit with the Knicks given his age, playing style and the assets that would have to be sent back to Philly to get him to Manhattan.

New York has slow-played its climb up the Eastern Conference in recent years, avoiding splashy trades for expensive veterans to prioritize the growth and continuity of a young roster aging into its collective prime. Jalen Brunson emerged as a full-fledged star after signing with the Knicks last summer, filling the franchise's longtime hole at point guard. There's a case to be made he's already a more reliable primary playmaker than Harden, especially against playoff competition, and Brunson, 27, has only just begun getting his feet wet in that role after spending the first four years of his NBA career playing second fiddle to Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks.

There's no doubt New York is far better off maintaining its status quo, fighting toward the top of the East while biding its time until Embiid or another antsy superstar makes himself available via trade. Few teams will be better positioned to pounce than the Knicks when that time inevitably comes. They have their full stable of first-round picks going forward, including three additional protected first-rounders in 2024 and one in 2025.

Despite the Sixers' insistence that James Harden is off the table, all signs still point to him getting moved by the February trade deadline—and almost certainly not to New York.