PHILADELPHIA — James Harden says the 76ers were his preferred destination a season ago.
“When I was going through everything I was going through in Houston, Philly was my first choice,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”
At the time, the perennial All-NBA selection was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade on Jan. 13, 2021.
“It’s just the details, I don’t really want to get into the Brooklyn situation,” Harden said Tuesday during his introductory press conference. “I just knew for a very long time this was a perfect fit and obviously you had a big man, the best big man in the league in Joel [Embiid] and obviously the coaching, just top to bottom it makes sense. I’m just happy and blessed that I’m here.
“As Doc [Rivers] and everybody knows and everybody wants to win, and be the last team standing. So I’m excited for the opportunity.”
So are the Sixers, who acquired Harden and Paul Millsap from the Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks on Thursday.
Harden said he will opt in to his $47.3 million contract for next season and can sign a four-year, $223 million extension at the start of free agency.
On paper, Harden and Embiid are the NBA’s best guard-center tandem.
Harden can get a bucket, finish isolation plays, take opponents off the dribble, and drain step-back 3-pointers.
However, he’s averaging 22.5 points and shooting a career-low 33.2% on 3-pointers, but he is averaging 10.2 assists this season. It is his lowest scoring average since averaging 16.8 points per game as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2011-12 season. The 32-year-old, who is a 10-time All-Star, had a four-point performance in a Feb. 2 road loss to the Sacramento Kings and has been sidelined the last three games with hamstring tightness.
Some have questioned the severity of the hamstring injury, noting that Harden wanted out of Brooklyn. A league source thinks a change of scenery will enable Harden to go back to him being the player who averaged 29.6 points and shot 36.2% on 3-pointers during his nine seasons in Houston.
Harden put up video-game type numbers during his nine seasons with the Rockets before being traded to the Nets in January 2021. Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October, the 32-year-old Harden was the league’s MVP in 2018. He ended his Rockets career as the franchise’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers (2,029), made free throws (5,554), and assists (4,796). Harden ranks second in scoring (18,365) and third in steals (1,087).
