The Harden jersey is an incredible bargain compared to the price the Sixers will pay to get the uniform.
Harden’s arrival is expected to be well worth the Sixers’ investment in talent, salary, and draft picks. This will help them to win their first NBA title since 1983. Now the question is: When?
Harden will not be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday or Saturday night. His debut will be held until he is evaluated by the team’s performance personnel.
Harden’s $44.3 million salary this season means that he could start playing for the 76ers as soon as Tuesday against Boston. Before the All-Star break, the Sixers will play Thursday against Milwaukee, which is also the NBA champion.
Harden once hired Doc Rivers, the Sixers’ coach, to coach him as a three-time scoring champion while he was playing for the Houston Rockets. They spoke three times between the pair since Thursday’s acquisition of Harden from Brooklyn by the Sixers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond. However, none of their conversations related to Harden’s potential debut.
With a hamstring injury, the 2018 MVP would have missed his fourth consecutive game on Thursday.
Rivers stated, “I want him to be right before we get him onto the floor.”
The Sixers quickly decluttered their New Jersey headquarters — the large Simmons magazine cover was taken out of the 76ers’ training facility. At the Wells Fargo Center, farewell, Curry banners.
A new era will soon begin with the star pairing of Harden, this season’s MVP front-runner, and Embiid. Embiid is the league’s leader in scoring with 29.4 points. He has also scored at least 25 points in thirty straight games.
Philly was under pressure not to lose a season of his prime. Harden must win a championship. In his three seasons with Brooklyn, Houston, and Oklahoma City, Harden has averaged 25.0 points and 5.6 rebounds, as well as 6.7 assists. However, none of his 12 seasons resulted in a championship.
At 32-22, the Sixers are three games behind the Eastern Conference’s top spot. Friday’s match against Oklahoma City will be their last.
Rivers will quickly get Harden up to speed.
Guard Tyrese Maxey stated that he simply said that the shootarounds and practices now will be more intense because there’s a short amount of time to work it out. “I can’t wait. It’s a great team of guys, and I can’t WAIT to get started.
Simmons and Harden were unhappy with their respective roles on their previous teams. Simmons wanted an offseason trade because he was tired of being in Philly. Harden is now on a new team for the second year.
Harden could have been a free agent this summer. After 16 games, Durant, Harden and Irving played just 16 games, the Nets decided that it was not worth the risk of waiting.
Simmons was greeted by few Philadelphians after he decided not to participate in the season. The top story on Thursday night’s broadcast from Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate was “The man who refused a layup and then refused to participate in a season is now a Brooklyn Net.”
Rivers stated that the Sixers have ended their Simmons saga.
The Nets also purchased draft picks 2022 and 2027. Paul Millsap will also be available to the Sixers.
Maxey, a second-year point guard who replaced Simmons, was very close to Simmons, but had not spoken to his former teammate. He is ready to work with Harden.
Maxey, 21, said that it was “kind of crazy” because Maxey is one of the boys you play in 2K as a younger child. He was one of my best friends throughout high school. He was also a huge James Harden fan growing up. So I text him last night and we discussed it a bit. He’s like, “It’s crazy!”
Daryl Morey, Sixers president, made the deal with the goal of a championship in this season’s edition. Now it’s up for Rivers to make it work after last year’s failure to get the top-seeded Sixers to the second round.
Rivers stated, “I believe the reason we made this deal was so that we could jump in the fray.”
