The Philadelphia 76ers were one quarter away from the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sixers held a two-point lead over the visiting Boston Celtics yet managed to lose Game 6 by scoring just 13 points over the final 12 minutes.

A few days later, the Sixers trailed by only three at halftime during the decisive Game 7. Then came the epic second-half collapse. Philadelphia lost by 24 points in a game it led by nine at one point in the first half.

NBA MVP Joel Embiid shot 5-for-18 from the field in that Game 7 defeat. James Harden was 3 of 11. Boston held Philadelphia's superstar duo to a combined 30 points below their season average while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum set an NBA Playoffs Game 7 record with 51 points.

Now comes the scrutiny of the offseason.

Embiid is coming off another disappointing playoff showing. Tyrese Maxey had some strong scoring performances but struggled with efficiency. Tobias Harris showed flashes on offense but was as useful defensively as a wet newspaper.

And then there is James Harden. During the regular season, his offensive rating of 123 actually tied for the best of his career. The opposite was true during the playoffs.

During the Celtics series, Harden's on-court plus/minus was -8.7 points per game. Outside of Games 1 and 4, where the lefty scored 87 points while shooting 62% from the field, Harden shot 16 for 63 (25%) and hit four three-pointers on 28 attempts.

Looking at the entirety of the 2022-23 playoffs, the 76ers' offense was 9.7 points worse per 100 possessions when James Harden was on the floor- and Philly's defense was 12 points worse per 100 possessions when Harden played.

Harden's deal with the Sixers expires in 2024, but here are three reasons Philadelphia must trade him this offseason.

Three reasons Philly must move on from James Harden

The money just doesn't work

The contracts for Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and James Harden all expire after the 2023/24 season. Maxey — who will make $4.3 million in the final year of his rookie deal — is set to earn $31 million less than Harden and $35 million less than Harris.

Keeping Maxey over Harden in 2024 is a no-brainer, so why not get a head start on the Tyrese Maxey era?

The 76ers are already $59 million over the salary cap for next season, which precludes any major additions in the off-season for a team that also doesn't have a 2023 draft pick.

Joel Embiid is under contract through 2027 and Maxey is only 22 years old; does Philly need to be that urgent to win? If Harden can't guide this team to a title, then might as well build for the next few years.

Philly needs more depth to win in the playoffs

During the regular season, Philadelphia had the third-fewest possessions played by its bench, a trend that continued into the postseason and coincided with a negative net rating from the Sixers non-starters.

Looking at the other three teams that were eliminated in the conference semifinals — Golden State, New York, and Phoenix — all had negative net ratings from their benches during the postseason. The four teams still remaining; all have positive net ratings.

The issue in Philadelphia is that with Harden's massive salary, the 76ers cannot afford the valuable role players that win championships.

De'Anthony Melton was the only Philly player with significant minutes off the bench during the Boston series, and his three-point shooting and defense were worse than the high levels he established during the regular season.

Looking at the Celtics, who went with a seven-man rotation versus the six players that Philadelphia played, Malcolm Brogdon had a major scoring impact off the bench, while Robert Williams provided excellent rebounding and defense.

Teams don't need to go 10 guys deep in the playoffs, but with Philadelphia's current financial stress, plus not having a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, trading Harden is the best option for securing better role players.

Keeping Harden prevents Tyrese Maxey from becoming a superstar

The Sixers are being rewarded for the patience they showed with Tyrese Maxey. The Kentucky product averaged eight points in 15 minutes per game as a rookie. Two years later, he is a 20-point per-game scorer.

The issue is that Maxey and Harden are not compatible. Both players are below-average defenders — something Philly cannot have in its backcourt.

Offensively, a team with three players averaging 20-plus PPG is difficult to sustain.

It worked this year because Harden was willing- at times- to be more of a playmaker than a scorer; but as Tyrese Maxey continues to develop into a superstar, he will want the ball more.

With James Harden on the team, it's just not possible.