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Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers made arguably the biggest splash of the 2022 NBA trade deadline. After a months-long stalemate between player and organization, Ben Simmons finally got the change of scenery he has long desired. The Sixers and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a deal late Thursday afternoon centered around Simmons and James Harden.
Morey stayed patient and waited for a deal of this magnitude to materialize and was greatly rewarded in the final hours before the deadline. This move shoots the Sixers up the ranks of contenders and puts a legitimate second option next to Joel Embiid.
One of the biggest things Harden's presence will do is make life easier for other players on the roster. That being said, here are two Sixers who will benefit greatly from the addition.
Sixers Benefactors
1) Tyrese Maxey
Heading into the season, Tyrese Maxey had a lot more thrown on his plate than first expected. With Simmons out of the picture, Doc Rivers found himself with a gaping hole in his starting lineup. Due to a lack of ballhandlers, Maxey got thrust into the full-time starting spot at point guard.
While the second-year guard has developed that area of his game nicely, sharing the backcourt with Harden should help Maxey moving forward. Most importantly, it takes a lot of the playmaking pressure off his plate.
On occasion, Maxey fell too in love with getting others the ball and it took away from his own play. He and Harden will likely take turns bringing the ball up, but playing alongside a facilitator of this caliber should help Maxey find a happy balance on the floor. This addition will also allow him to embrace his true combo-guard nature.
With Harden taking over as maestro of the offense, we can see Maxey get back to showcasing his electric scoring ability.
Another Sixers talent who had a lot asked of them due to circumstance is Tobias Harris. Coming off a career year last season, many wanted to see him step up in Simmons' absence and be a reliable second option to Embiid every night. While he has returned to this form as of late, injury and health and safety protocol derailed the first half of Harris' season.
At his best, Harris is the third option on a contending team. With Harden entering the mix now, he can comfortably slide into that role. Opposing defenses are going to put all their focus into slowing down the pair of All-Stars, and it will allow Harris to attack mismatches.
We saw all last season how effective Harris can be as a third option. Playing with an elite facilitator who garners a lot of attention again should open up the floor for him tremendously. Not to mention a big three of Embiid, Harden, and Harris is a formidable trio in an Eastern Conference that many believe to be wide open.
