It's over. The Philadelphia 76ers have finally traded James Harden. The Sixers endured months of drama that even extended all the way to China, where the 2018 NBA MVP made the world know what he truly felt about GM Daryl Morey and called him a “liar” in front of hundreds of fans, not once, but twice.

The Harden drama clouded the franchise throughout the entire offseason and into the 2023-24 campaign. With the trade done, the Sixers can finally move forward and just hoop with Joel Embiid leading the way.

In exchange for Harden, Philadelphia received a package of Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap. You have to think the Sixers could have gotten more out of a 10-time All-Star who just came off a campaign where he led the NBA in assists. But the return suggested that Morey really had no leverage in terms of what he could trade for Harden.

Nonetheless, Sixers fans can't continue sulking over the return their team received for the All-Star guard. It's time to move forward and look into the next move the Sixers must make after trading away James Harden.

Sixers 2023-24 season so far

Before diving into the move the Sixers must make, let's take a look at their 2023-24 season so far.

Despite the dark cloud that hovered over the franchise to begin the campaign, Philadelphia has looked pretty impressive so far. The team has gone 2-1 so far, with their one loss being a one-point defeat to the new-look Milwaukee Bucks featuring Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to open the season.

They bounced back with a solid road 114-107 road victory over the Toronto Raptors to notch win No. 1 and give Nick Nurse his first win over his former squad. A day later, they trounced the Portland Trail Blazers to the tune of a 126-98 beatdown for their first home win of the season.

Joel Embiid is back to playing at an MVP level. He is averaging 31.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.0 assists through the first three games of the new year. As seen with the uptick in assists, the Sixers have utilized Embiid in a more Nikola Jokic-type role as a playmaking hub on offense, which is likely as a result of Harden's absence.

Wihout Harden, Tyrese Maxey has stepped up as the No. 2 option for the Sixers. It didn't take long for the 22-year-old to prove that he is a more than capable Robin to Embiid's Batman. In three games so far, Maxey is averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists with shooting splits of 50.0-56.0-91.3. That accounts for an insane true shooting percentage of 68.8 percent.

The fourth-year guard's numbers will likely go back down to earth at some point, especially the shooting. But the strong start suggests Maxey is ready to take that leap into a starring role on a contending team.

Sixers next move: Trade for Malcolm Brogdon

In the aftermath of the James Harden trade, the Philadelphia 76ers may not be done wheeling and dealing. Philadelphia will unlikely stop in its pursuit to compete for a championship. So expect Daryl Morey to make more moves to continue building a championship-caliber roster around Joel Embiid and Philadelphia's new No. 2 option Tyrese Maxey.

Harden's official departure means Maxey is now responsible for full-time playmaking and shot creating duties in the backcourt. Nonetheless, the Sixers should still look for a trade that can alleviate some of the ball handling duties off of him.

One player the Sixers could target is Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers. A role player of Brogdon has no business being in a rebuilding franchise like the Blazers.

The Sixers use a young player like Jaden Springer along with some of the draft picks they acquired from the Harden deal as the centerpieces of a potential package to acquire Brogdon. They also now have some mid-sized contracts (also from the Harden deal) that they can include as a salary-filler to get to Brogdon's $22.5 million price tag this season.

Philadelphia could really use someone like Brogdon to play alongside Maxey. He isn't the ball dominant player that Harden is, but he is a solid two-way playmaker who can also score and space the floor on offense.

Malcolm Brogdon will be good for Tyrese Maxey

The first three games of the regular season have shown that Maxey is thriving as the primary ball handler. But his numbers in the past suggest he plays much better as an off-ball player.

During the 2021-22 season, we saw Maxey play both roles. His numbers that year suggest he may be more productive and efficient in an off-ball role. Or perhaps a role that doesn't require him to have the ball in his hands a majority of the time. Maxey started off that season as the starting point guard before James Harden (ironically) arrived midway through the campaign and assumed the primary ball handling duties.

In 51 games as the lead ball handler (before Harden's arrival), the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.9 points on 46.9 percent field goal shooting and 39.0 percent three-point shooting. After the Harden deal, Maxey's numbers rose to 18.7 points on 52.3 percent field goal shooting and 48.0 percent three-point shooting.

Maxey's numbers have also shown that he is a much better as a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter than off the dribble. This season alone, he has connected on over 90 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. Last season, he was at 45.5 percent on C&S compared to 38.5 percent off the bounce.

With Brogdon, Maxey won't need to shoot as many pull-up threes. He is averaging nearly five of them while connecting on just 28.6 percent this season so far.

Brogdon will also give Philadelphia a steadier and more consistent offensive hand in the backcourt. Currently, De'Anthony Melton is starting alongside Maxey. Melton is a career 36.9 percent shooter from three, while Brogdon is at 38.9 percent and is coming off a career year where he shot 44.4 percent from deep.