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When Doc Rivers arrived in 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers envisioned themselves being able to become real championship contenders. Through the years, this organization has found a ton of success during the regular season, yet they have been unable to break their playoff curse that holds them back from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. After just three years with the team and after posting a 154-82 record, the Sixers decided to move on from Rivers, starting a chain reaction of events.
Maybe the 76ers did need a change on the sideline, as going three straight years with basically the same record and losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals proved their stagnant progress of becoming a real title threat. Then again, Rivers was not and has not been the only problem with this organization.
Whereas other teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics have been to the NBA Finals in recent years from the East, the Sixers have been held back due to their inconsistent play. This is why Rivers was replaced by former Toronto Raptors championship head coach Nick Nurse.
In one of the more shocking moves of the offseason, the Raptors parted ways with Nurse, opening the door for their division rivals to swoop in and offer him their opening on the sideline. Known to be a defensive-minded coach who gets effort and intensity out of his players, the 76ers are hoping that Nurse will be able to finally take this team to new heights.
However, achieving this may be difficult for the Sixers. There is obviously a lot of talent on this roster, with reining league MVP Joel Embiid, emerging star Tyrese Maxey, and veteran forward Tobias Harris, but a dark cloud has loomed large over the heads of this front office ever since the end of June.
James Harden requested a trade from the Houston Rockets during the 2020-21 season and he wanted to go to the Brooklyn Nets. The former league MVP got his wish and then requested a trade from the Nets to the 76ers during the following 2021-22 season. Now, this cycle is once again repeating itself, as Harden wants out of Philadelphia and requested a trade ahead of the start of free agency.
Harden, who had taken a pay cut last offseason to aid the team in their pursuit of P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., was looking for a new, long-term contract extension from the Sixers this offseason. When he got word that this was not going to happen, even though he has stayed true to the idea that team president Daryl Morey made a promise to him about this, Harden decided to opt into his $35 million player option and ask for a trade.
At this time, there is no movement on a potential deal involving the 76ers guard and he has seemed to turn his focus to the 2023-24 season. Initially holding out and not showing up to media day or training camp, the ten-time All-Star has been practicing with and preparing for the new year with Philadelphia.
How this all plays out is yet to be seen, but the drama surrounding Harden and his trade requests has cast a major sense of doubt on this franchise's chances of contending at the highest level possible. It's clear that Harden not longer wants to be with this team and as a result, things could begin breaking down at any time internally.
Nonetheless, the 76ers still appear to be one of the better teams in the league on paper. Setting aside everything pertaining to Harden, the Sixers went out and continued to try and build their depth during the summer in order to actually make a real push for the conference finals and possibly a championship.
Sixers offseason additions and departures
Additions: G/F Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agency – CHA), G Patrick Beverley (free agency – CHI), G/F Danny Green (free agency – CLE), C Mo Bamba (free agency – LAL)
Departures: F Jalen McDaniels (free agency – TOR), G Shake Milton (free agency – MIN), F Georges Niang (free agency – CLE)
The Sixers entered free agency not knowing what the top part of their roster would look like, especially with the uncertainty surrounding James Harden. As a result of this, and not having any cap flexibility, they were unable to retain some of their key secondary talents that hit the open market.
Shake Milton and Georges Niang, two players who had been with the Sixers over the last two seasons, ended up finding new destinations during the offseason. With both players looking to earn more money for their accomplishments as bench talents in Philadelphia, Milton joined the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $10 million contract, and Niang joined the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year, $26 million deal.
While not huge losses for the 76ers, Milton and Niang have held big roles at times for this organization, especially when Harden, Maxey, and others were dealing with injuries. Last season, both bench talents shot over 37 percent from three-point range, which puts a small dent in the Sixers' perimeter shooting potential entering the 2023-24 season.
The team also ended up losing Jalen McDaniels to the Toronto Raptors, a player they gave up Matisse Thybulle and a second-round pick for in a multi-team trade at last season's trade deadline. McDaniels only ended up playing in 24 games for the Sixers, failing to make a huge impact off the bench.
Even though the Sixers suffered some key losses in free agency, they also picked up some notable names and instant-impact players.
Patrick Beverley and Danny Green are two veterans who understand their respective roles. Green, who spent two seasons with the 76ers before tearing his ACL a couple of seasons ago, will be a valuable, experienced option for the team to turn to on the perimeter. For his career, Green has shot 40.0 percent from three-point range and he's won three championships with three different teams, giving Philadelphia the championship-like depth they've been lacking.
For Beverley, he's known for being a pesky on-ball defender who can create a spark of energy for his team. While outspoken at times, Pat Bev is another veteran leader who has been around winning cultures throughout the years. Accountability and effort are the two main things the Sixers get with Beverley.
Mo Bamba signed a minimum deal with the 76ers to provide more depth behind Embiid and the biggest addition for the 76ers came very late in the summer with Kelly Oubre Jr. agreeing to a minimum deal. Oubre, who is coming off his best offensive season in the league with the Charlotte Hornets, surprisingly did not garner any interest in free agency.
After averaging 20.3 points per game and shooting 43.1 percent from the floor last year, he now joins the Sixers as an eight-year veteran who can be an instant source of scoring in or out of the starting rotation. His presence will be huge when either Maxey or Harris are out of the lineup.
In terms of replacing what they lost, the 76ers actually did a great job of finding players who are ready to win. All four of their additions can play on any given night, instantly giving Philadelphia the depth they've been without through the years.
Still, the big question mark surrounding the franchise revolves around what they will ultimately do with Harden. The clock continues to tick and as things drag out into the start of the regular season, the 76ers' window for making a move before he becomes a free agent begins to close.
Will James Harden be traded?
Well, this is the million-dollar question…
Early on in the offseason, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the 76ers would cut ties with their losses and just trade James Harden for whatever they could get. Then, the narrative quickly changed when Daryl Morey claimed that the team would only trade their star guard if they could get championship value in return, which is understandable given that the Sixers have been right on the cusp of making the conference finals the last few seasons.
As time passed throughout the offseason, interest from rival teams in Harden was low not only due to the 76ers' demands, but also because of Harden's intentions to want to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. If a trade is to happen, it seems inevitable that Harden would end up with the Clippers to play alongside Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The problem pertaining to trade talks between the Sixers and Clippers is that Philadelphia has been unwilling to budge on what kind of value they want in return. From Los Angeles' perspective, they do not want to give up everything they can since it is a known fact that Harden only wants to play for them.
This trade dilemma has been at a standstill over the last few weeks and with Harden reporting to training camp, it does appear as if the 76ers are prepared to let things play out during the regular season. There is always the possibility that they could revisit trade conversations ahead of the trade deadline, especially if the All-Star guard still wants to be moved and Philly is not finding as much success as they were hoping for.
Everything that has transpired with Harden has impacted the 76ers' future, whether they know it or not. Harden's eventual departure leads to a different role for Tyrese Maxey, this would impact Philadelphia's payroll moving forward, and it could also lead to Joel Embiid's eventual departure from the franchise.
Embiid has made it clear that he wants to win a championship. From his own words over the offseason, the reining MVP claimed that he wants to win a title and he is not sure where he will ultimately achieve that. For the face of a franchise to say this means that he is already having doubts about what the future may present.
Currently in the prime of his career, Embiid only wants to win and he wants to be a part of an organization that exemplifies this. The way the Harden situation has been mishandled paired with the fact that they have lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals five of the last six seasons does not necessarily show that the 76ers are truly about winning right now.
If the Sixers are not careful, they will not only lose Harden, but Embiid will be following him right out the door, creating one of the biggest trade requests in league history.
2023-24 season outlook
The first month of the 2023-24 regular season will be very telling for the 76ers as a franchise. Things may be fine in training camp right now and Harden may be content with beginning the season with the team, but if Philadelphia is not finding a lot of success in their first few weeks under Nick Nurse's leadership, everything will begin to fall apart.
Harden will reiterate his trade request, possibly sitting out games in the process, and Embiid's frustrations will only continue to grow. At this point, the Sixers just look like a ticking time bomb given that they do not have a sense of direction right now.
The one good thing the 76ers have is Tyrese Maxey, who looks like an All-Star in the making. Having the ability to play with or without the ball in his hands, Maxey has established himself as one of the better players in the league under the age of 24.
Every season that he has been in the league, the former first-round pick has grown into an even better scorer than he was the previous season. There is no doubt that he will average upwards of 20 points per game once again and he could wind up taking major strides as a facilitator if Harden is to leave Philadelphia. Maxey represents the future of this organization right now, regardless of which stars decide to request a trade and end up leaving.
The 2023-24 season may realistically be the 76ers' last chance to compete for a title. Harden and Embiid proved to be a terrific duo last year and this roster actually features quite a bit of depth with the additions of Beverley, Green, and Oubre.
If they can lock in defensively under Nurse's leadership and can settle things with Harden, the Sixers will be in the mix for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Until there are assurances given on the All-Star guard's status though, it is hard to come to a conclusion and say the 76ers can come out of the East.
