In February 2022, the 76ers were a team buzzing with excitement, optimism and a ton of hype following a trade for James Harden that created a star duo with Joel Embiid.
Fast forward roughly 16 months, and the Sixers have become a franchise facing growing levels of immediate concern, beginning with free agency this offseason.
When the Sixers acquired Harden via trade from the Nets, many believed it would be the move that pushed Philly into legitimate title contention and could put the Sixers over the top. But after consecutive postseason eliminations in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and with Harden’s future being very much up in the air ahead of free agency, there are obvious reasons for concern.
The Sixers could face a “gap year” if they lose the 33-year-old in free agency, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. More specifically, their options to replace Harden and avoid wasting a season of Embiid’s prime include essentially “nobody.”
Marks’s comments appear to primarily point to the shooting guard position, which doesn’t offer many options in free agency. Beyond Harden, there are names such as Bruce Brown, Jordan Clarkson and Austin Reaves, all of whom are impactful, but Harden remains in the top tier by himself.
Even when evaluating the point guard position, Fred VanVleet is near the top of the list with Kyrie Irving, although the latter appears likely to return to the Mavericks. Beyond that, D’Angelo Russell has an interesting free agency ahead, while Russell Westbrook’s next home also is a question mark.
But regardless of the discussion around these top free agents, there’s no debate that Harden is the most impactful and high-upside player of the bunch. The Sixers know that and appearset on doing anything in their power to keep him in Philly, for good reason.
