On Monday, new 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters he believes Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid "absolutely can work together." On Tuesday, the trade rumors started.
Philadelphia is expected to be among the teams pursuing Rockets star James Harden, according to Stadium's Shams Charania. Morey traded for Harden in 2012 as Houston's general manager and built a strong bond with "The Beard," so the connection doesn't come as a surprise.
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However, anyone expecting the Sixers to quickly become the Rockets of the East should pump the brakes.
"As of right now, [it] is an emphatic no from the Rockets' side," Charania reported. "It's really a non-starter for that organization. Daryl Morey, though, has a history of being active on the trade market, pursuing the different opportunities that may exist out there, and I wouldn't expect it to be any different now that he's in Philadelphia."
"I'm told Philadelphia is expected to be interested in and pursue James Harden"
— Stadium (@Stadium) November 3, 2020
Our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports a Harden move for Houston is currently a non-starter. pic.twitter.com/7JaZH69WLt
A Harden-to-Philly deal is intriguing, but it's just a trade machine dream right now. When you break down what Charania said, it basically comes down to this: "Team A is interested in acquiring one of the best players in the NBA. Team B does not want to give Team A that player." Not as exciting, huh?
There has also been previous reporting declaring the Rockets have already shut down any ideas about swapping Harden for Simmons, and team owner Tilman Fertitta has publicly stated he has no intention of blowing up the roster. Perhaps that stance would change if Harden tells the front office he wants to leave. So far, there are no indications he will demand a trade in the near future.
Morey is the kind of executive who will examine every possible option to improve his team's title odds, no matter how ridiculous it sounds on the surface. He's the guy who once asked Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about the availability of franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki.
So sure, there will always be chatter about Harden's status in Houston and whether he would prefer to play under his old GM. But that doesn't mean a blockbuster deal will be happening anytime soon.
