James Harden

Atlantic Notes: Nurse, Harden, Sharpe, Walker, Knicks

October 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Nick Nurse is determined to prevent James Harden‘s standoff with Sixers management from becoming a distraction as he prepares the team for the start of the season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden went through all of training camp without incident, but was held out of Sunday’s preseason opener. With his trade request still looming, Nurse and the rest of his players aren’t sure if Harden will be on the roster when the season tips off in two weeks.

“I think that we knew (that) in the interview process, and the whole time James was a free agent,” Nurse said. “They talked to me, ‘How do you feel about if he’s here or if he isn’t?’ He certainly could have turned down his option and gone somewhere else. That was a possibility. But, like, you know my job is (to) work together with the front office. I believe in those guys. They got a track record of bringing in players, putting good teams together and my job is to coach the guys that are there. And that’s what I will do.”

Pompey notes that Nurse had other opportunities after his success in Toronto, as he interviewed with the Bucks and Suns and was considered the leading candidate for both jobs. Those teams are considered title contenders after major offseason acquisitions, but Nurse didn’t mind accepting the challenges in Philadelphia.

“I’ve got a job to do, and sometimes that job has a few things you’ve got to work through,” he said. “It’s not perfect on a lot of professional sports teams, right? You are paid to work through some things. That’s what we are trying to do.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn plans to use more drop coverage this season, which could mean a larger role for backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The change in philosophy, plus having another big man on the court, could solve Brooklyn’s long-standing problems with rebounding. “When we switch 1-through-5 … it wasn’t so much Nic (Claxton) or I was getting cooked every play,” Sharpe said. “It was more so we’re out on the perimeter, they’re shooting the ball, the other guys (are) down there getting the rebounds. So, personally, I like to drop better. I like getting boards, I like being physical. And I don’t like when I feel like my matchup is killing me, either. So at the end of the day, I feel like it’s going to help us a lot.”
After spending last season with the Lakers, Lonnie Walker will face his former team Monday night as he tries to earn a spot in the Nets‘ rotation, Lewis adds in a separate story. Vaughn said he wants to see Walker attack the rim and stretch the floor with his outside shooting.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau admits it will be a “tough call” to make the final roster cuts, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy examines the candidates who will be fighting for spots throughout the preseason.

Rockets Notes: Green, Harden, VanVleet, Veterans

October 7th, 2023 at 8:55pm CST by Rory Maher

In an interesting article for ESPN, Zach Lowe details why Jalen Green could be the key for the Rockets to turn the corner in 2023/24 and beyond.

Green, 21, had impressive counting stats in his second season, averaging 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.7 APG in 76 games (34.2 MPG). However, as Lowe notes, the former No. 2 overall pick struggled at times with scoring efficiency (.416/.338/.786 shooting), decision-making (2.6 turnovers per game) and defense.

According to Lowe, Green has shown he can make all the pick-and-roll passes necessary to manipulate defenses, but has been inconsistent with actually executing them. Lackadaisical play on both ends has also been an issue, but the team believes it can be corrected.

“This is a huge year for him,” GM Rafael Stone told ESPN. “It’s on him to really put together all the things he’s worked on. You see individual games where he’s locked in — whether it’s on-ball defense, help-side defense, making the right reads in the pick-and-roll. And then there are other games where he just kind of let go of the rope. He’s a bucket. It’s about all the little things.”

Green will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Houston wants to lean into Green’s play-making, which is one reason why the team went after Fred VanVleet — who is adept at playing both on and off the ball — instead of James Harden in free agency, Lowe writes in the same story. “Nothing against James,” head coach Ime Udoka told ESPN, “but Fred is just a better fit. I coached James in Brooklyn. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. The words ‘Ime doesn’t want James’ never came out of my mouth. It was, ‘Let’s look at the best fit.’ If we want Jalen and the young guys to take the next steps, we need them to have the ball. As for me saying I don’t want James, that was never the case. It was about fit.”
VanVleet has made an immediate impact on Houston with his leadership and savvy two-way play, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “I’m more of a booster, a confidence giver, energy giver with all of these guys — especially Jabari (Smith),” VanVleet said. “Keep boosting and instilling that confidence because when guys go out there and play free, you’ll get the best version of them.”
VanVleet isn’t the only veteran the Rockets added in free agency this summer, with Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green also in the fold. As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link) writes, their experience and skill should help a young team going forward. “First and foremost, I would say experience,” Green said of what he will bring. “Being in every type of situation possible, winning the championship last year, going to the playoffs multiple years, I bring the experience itself and teaching these young guys what it takes to be a true professional. The winning aspect, what it takes, the everyday grind, them seeing it, I think it will help in the long run.”

Sixers Notes: Morey, Harden, Embiid, Training Camp

October 7th, 2023 at 8:22am CST by Tristan Tucker

Following the Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday trades, all eyes turned toward James Harden as the next potential star trade before the season. However, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey won’t rush into any sort of deal involving the star guard, regardless of any potential pushback from Harden, even if that means keeping him into the season.

Mizell writes that Morey isn’t going to be pressured into making a move for the sake of making the trade despite other Eastern Conference rivals adding big pieces like Lillard and Holiday. Morey and the Sixers took a similar approach with Ben Simmons two years ago, holding him all the way until the trade deadline so that they could find the most suitable deal.

While outsiders in Philly are antsy to move on from the 10-time All-Star, Mizell writes that the belief inside the organization is that a move to make a trade now, even if it would end any potential distraction, is too reckless to justify. Mizell explains that sources on both sides are taking things day-by-day, even if that means leaving the door open for Harden to make things uncomfortable leading into the season, something he hasn’t done up to this point.

Morey is unlikely to allow Harden to force his hand, Mizell writes, because head coach Nick Nurse could always bench Harden and start Tyrese Maxey as the team’s lead ball-handler. Several other factors play into a potential decision by the Sixers to hold Harden until the deadline, according to Mizell, including the star guard potentially rescinding his trade request, better prospective trades popping up as the season goes on, and not wanting to take a step back during their window of contention, especially coming off Joel Embiid‘s MVP year.

We have more from the Sixers:

Harden was a full participant in Philadelphia’s final training camp practice at Colorado State on Friday for the first time since he re-joined the team on Tuesday, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. However, his status for the Sixers’ preseason opener against the Celtics on Sunday is still uncertain, according to Bontemps, who says Nurse’s rotations are still fluid for the first preseason action for the Sixers.
Embiid reiterated to reporters on Thursday that Harden’s presence for the Sixers was not a distraction, stating that the team’s focus is on learning and installing Nurse’s schemes, Bontemps writes. “As a team, we’re just focused on what we’ve got to learn, and learn as soon as possible,” Embiid said. “We don’t have a lot of time. We want to win, and that’s the goal.“
While the Harden situation is drawing plenty of attention, there are a handful of other storylines flying under the radar during Philadelphia’s camp. Maxey, in particular, is drawing rave reviews from Nurse, who’s becoming increasingly impressed by the guard’s outside shot and ability to create space, according to PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner. Bodner also writes that the Sixers’ ball movement has been improved in camp.

And-Ones: Star Trade Requests, Tavares, Intriguing Players, Win Projections

October 5th, 2023 at 8:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

In the past decade or so, the NBA has seen its fair share of superstar trade requests, the majority of which have been granted. Kevin Durant requested a trade out of Brooklyn last year, and we’ve watched the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis, to name a few, ask to be moved. For years, the norm was that those players gave a list of teams they’d prefer to be traded to, with that usually being honored.

Damian Lillard and James Harden are the latest players to demand trades from teams. However, unlike all those that came before them, Lillard wasn’t sent to his previously preferred destination (Miami), and Harden remains on the Sixers’ roster into training camp. Howard Beck of The Ringer opines that these two situations, in particular, prove that the NBA’s so-called “superstar empowerment era” has its limits. According to Beck, front offices and league executives see this as a good thing.

One Eastern Conference executive said “teams are taking back control,” according to Beck, with another longtime general manager saying “it is a significant event that [Lillard] didn’t land where he wanted.”

These executives aren’t against player empowerment, Beck says, but the widespread trade requests by superstars have been destabilizing to teams’ progress. There have been 14 trade requests by players Beck defines as superstars in the last five years, including three from Harden.

Ultimately, the “one team or nothing” approach looks to be the point where some clubs will draw the line, Beck reasons. While it worked out last season for the Suns, who had Mikal Bridges to send to Brooklyn in the Durant move, it diminished the market in the case of Lillard. “I think his chances of ending up in Miami would have been much greater [if he opened up the request to more teams],” one agent said to Beck.

We have more odds and ends from the basketball world:

In an annual survey of EuroLeague general managers conducted by BasketNews, more than half (53.8%) predicted that Real Madrid center Edy Tavares would be the next EuroLeague player to go to the NBA. Last year, general managers picked Vasilije Micic to move to the NBA, and he eventually did, signing with the Thunder this offseason. Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets that the Trail Blazers had interest in Tavares this offseason, but a significant buyout kept him in Madrid. The BasketNews report states that Portland actually submitted an offer, but with Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams on board, it’s unclear if they’ll continue to have interest. James Nnaji, Guerschon Yabusele, Marko Simonovic and Khalifa Diop also received votes. Tavares previously holds 13 games of NBA experience with Atlanta and Cleveland from 2015-17.
In an annual piece (ESPN+ link), ESPN’s Zach Lowe names his five most intriguing players to watch out for in the 2023/24 season. Lowe avoids superstars, rookies and second-year players for the most part in his rankings. LaMelo Ball, Devin Vassell, Josh Giddey, Ayton and Immanuel Quickley are the five names Lowe selects to watch out for, with each having a chance to take their respective teams to the next level. I highly recommend reading the piece in full, as Lowe provides detailed breakdowns on each player.
Following up on his piece about teams likely to overachieve, The Athletic’s John Hollinger broke down five teams that he believes will fall short relative to Vegas win total over/unders. Hollinger expects the Kings and Thunder to win fewer than 44.5 games, the Magic to win fewer than 36.5 games and the Bulls to finish with below 37.5 wins. Of note, Hollinger also doesn’t think the Suns will reach their projected total of 52.5 wins, despite adding Bradley Beal and depth in the offseason. Hollinger reasons that health is a concern and that while he thinks they are certainly contenders in the postseason, the regular season might be bumpy.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Clippers, Embiid, Team USA

October 5th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

One of the biggest league-wide storylines of the summer was James Harden‘s trade request following his opt-in with the Sixers. Drama ensued over the following months, with tensions becoming so volatile that Harden called president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar” publicly in August.

However, after skipping Philadelphia’s media day on Monday, for which he was fined, and the first day of training camp on Tuesday, Harden showed up to Sixers training camp on Wednesday. As we relayed, there was no drama at training camp on Wednesday, nor was there any on Thursday, writes The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi.

Sohi details the summer of opposition between Harden and Morey, writing that Harden may have ended his holdout due to Philadelphia’s history of fining players for non-attendance, just as they did with Ben Simmons two years ago.

Exploring how the partnership got to this point, Sohi writes that Harden’s relationship with Morey began to deteriorate shortly before free agency, with Harden’s representatives wishing to engage in contract talk. But having been stripped of draft capital last offseason for tampering, Morey didn’t wish to have that happen again, and remained silent, according to Sohi. Harden spent the summer waiting to hear from Morey, Sohi writes, but didn’t.

Rumors swirled about Harden’s future well before free agency, with the 34-year-old guard tied to the Rockets, with whom he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2017/18. However, according to Sohi, new coach Ime Udoka “was not a fan” of Harden, leaving Harden feeling as though he was running out of options and thus, looking to the Clippers, where he ended up demanding a trade to.

Before Harden picked up to his player option, his camp felt as though the Sixers would short-change him on a possible contract, writes Sohi. Seeing as Houston wasn’t a viable option for the star guard, Sohi writes that Harden’s camp felt as though Morey wished to get Harden to agree to a short, team-friendly deal, just as he did last summer. For now, Harden’s request stands as the Sixers approach their first preseason game on October 8.

We have more from the Sixers:

In a separate story regarding the Harden and Morey fallout, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic corroborate Sohi’s piece, asserting that Harden joined the Sixers for camp to avoid fines. However, the pair also write that Harden is taking part because he believes a potential deal with the Clippers is still in the works. Los Angeles is “going to great lengths” to trade for Harden, according to Charania and Amick, attempting to move pick swaps for additional draft capital to strengthen their offer. Charania and Amick write that the Clippers offered an unprotected first-round pick, a pick swap and matching salaries for Harden in July, but the Sixers want more, particularly eyeing Terance Mann and multiple first-round picks.
For Joel Embiid‘s part in the Harden/Morey drama, Sohi writes that the franchise center is open to waiting to see what Morey can build and understands why it may take a while to build a contending team. Embiid has been through this before, Sohi writes, taking part in the “Process Era,” though that was well before his emergence as a superstar and league MVP.
Embiid committed to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics on Thursday. Embiid was picking between the United States, France and Cameroon’s Olympic teams, and he explained his decision to play for the Americans to media on Thursday, as relayed by PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). “It was tough,” Embiid said. “Obviously, I love all three options. … “My son is American, and you add that to the fact that I’ve been here for such a long time, I feel like for the past few years … every decision has been based off of family.”

Drama-Free First Day Of Camp For James Harden

October 4th, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

James Harden has indicated that he’s willing to make things uncomfortable for the Sixers until he gets the trade he requested, but there were no incidents on his first day at training camp, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

It was business as usual as Harden worked out with his teammates at Colorado State University. He skipped media day amid a public feud with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and missed the first day of camp, but he was fully engaged Wednesday as he participated in drills.

Head coach Nick Nurse said Harden “looked good” and showed up in shape, and the expectation is that he will continue to fulfill his obligations to the team until his situation is resolved.

“He’s here. He knows the schedule, and we expect him to be there,” Nurse said. “I think we can wait and see on (where things go from here), but every indication is that he’s here (now).”

Speculation has been rampant about what Harden might do in an attempt to force his way out of Philadelphia. His trade demand, which was made when he picked up his $35.6MM option for this season in late June, is now more than three months old with no signs of traction on a deal with the Clippers, his preferred choice, or anyone else.

Harden believes he was deceived by the organization and specifically Morey, whom he called a liar during a public appearance in China this summer. Harden also vowed never to play for a team that was run by Morey, but it appears he may have no choice.

Harden left today’s practice before the media was allowed in, but teammates echoed Nurse’s sentiments. Harden didn’t address the team before practice or when he arrived in Colorado on Tuesday, but Tobias Harris said there was no need for an explanation.

“We’re all grown men here,” Harris said. “Everybody understands the business of the game of basketball at this point. Personally, he doesn’t have to address myself or anybody, truthfully.” But his participation, in my opinion, is addressing that. He’s here, and his attitude and energy today allowed everybody to understand that he wants to go out here and compete with us and get stuff done. In my opinion, that’s all, really, that matters, is his energy and effort towards myself and all our teammates.”

Unlike the team’s standoff with Ben Simmons two years ago, there are no hard feelings between Harden and any of his teammates, Bontemps adds. The organization has made overtures to ease the tension, including making a 25% salary payment to Harden two days earlier than it was due.

While the Sixers have to be relieved to see one of their stars back on the court and interacting with his coaches and teammates, the basic structure of the situation hasn’t changed. Harden still wants out and Morey seems determined to hold onto him unless he can get a return that keeps the team in title contention, so any good feelings from today aren’t guaranteed to last.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Harden, O. Porter, Schröder

October 4th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets‘ roster, as currently constructed, probably doesn’t have championship upside, but it also features plenty of veterans and isn’t meant to be a rebuilding lottery team. So what does that mean for the club’s expectations this season? The Nets may still be trying to figure that out, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I don’t think, as a group, we know our ceiling,” guard Spencer Dinwiddie said. “Knowing that we don’t have our (own first-round) picks, obviously we’re not going to tank. No team that’s trying to be competitive wants to be in the play-in, so I’d say by process of elimination, that’s where you want to start. As high as we can take it, we want to take it.

“… We’re young in terms of our depth, but the people that are going to play are 30, 27, 28. So we’re in a winning position, not necessarily, obviously, a championship position like we were with the superstars. So it’s somewhere in the middle,” Dinwiddie continued. “But we definitely have a lot of youth in terms of our depth, and I think it’s fun to build culture and watch guys grow.”

As Lewis writes, claiming a top-six spot is a reasonable goal for the Nets, but the team will need to take a step forward in order to achieve that goal. Brooklyn went just 13-15 after the trade deadline — that pace wouldn’t have been good enough to qualify for the play-in tournament.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After arriving in Colorado on Tuesday evening, Sixers guard James Harden is participating in practice with the team on Wednesday, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (story via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Harden, who continues to seek a trade, skipped media day in Camden on Monday and the first day of training camp at Colorado State University on Tuesday.
Veteran forward Otto Porter Jr., who was sidelined for most of last season due to a toe injury, was a full participant in the Raptors‘ first practice this week, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. According to Lewenberg, the hope is that Porter, who underwent surgery in January and continued to rehab the injury during the summer, will be available to open the season.
While it’s unrealistic to expect him to match Fred VanVleet‘s production and replace his leadership, the Raptors are bullish on what Dennis Schröder can do this season after signing a two-year, $25MM+ deal with the team. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca and Lewenberg of TSN.ca note that Schröder’s big summer – including a World Cup gold medal – is a reason for optimism and take a look at the early impression he has made in Toronto.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Colorado, Harrell, Harris

October 4th, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Although James Harden may be in attendance this week for training camp, it’s unclear what the Sixers can expect from him, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said in an NBA Today YouTube segment that the star guard may simply intend to put more pressure on the club in the hopes of forcing a change of scenery.

“James Harden wants a trade. He wants to make the 76ers uncomfortable, so uncomfortable, ultimately, that they don’t think that they’re going to get the best out of him, and that they’ll make a trade,” Wojnarowski said. “The Sixers, on the other hand, they want to wait this out and hope they get the best James Harden, the best version of him sooner than later.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Sixers don’t believe there’s a deal for Harden out there that will maintain or improve their chances of contending for a championship, so hanging onto the former MVP and attempting to reconcile may be the path with the highest upside.

“The difference between the Harden situation and the Ben Simmons situation a couple years ago (is) there were a lot of possible deals out there for Ben Simmons,” Wojnarowski said. “So you would measure them, you would look at them, what they could get. Teams in both conferences had interest in Ben Simmons. This is different. There’s not widespread interest in James Harden.”

Wojnarowski refers to the Clippers as the “most motivated” team to land Harden, given that they want to contend for a title this season and could use a play-making guard, but reiterates that they don’t want to bid against themselves. As for other potential suitors, Woj notes that the Knicks talked to the Sixers earlier in the process, but says New York isn’t particularly enthusiastic to pursue what might be a one-year rental of Harden.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that Harden arrived in Colorado on Tuesday night, as expected. However, the 34-year-old remains angry at Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and has “zero intentions of rejoining this group in earnest” even after reporting to camp, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Within the same Athletic story, Amick explores the team’s motivation for holding its training camp in Colorado, noting that practicing in altitude was one factor head coach Nick Nurse considered. Getting out from under the spotlight in Philadelphia was another. “Taking the team away, and the old (idea of), ‘Let’s get out and get away and bond and spend some time together,’ that’s still a real thing,” Nurse said. “It’s still a real thing. And as you mentioned, and if I’m being honest with you, yes, I thought that getting away from the media a little bit, and from all of this, could help us so we can focus on basketball.”
Injured big man Montrezl Harrell, who is recovering from surgery on the torn ACL in his right knee, isn’t with the Sixers in training camp and is expected to remain away from the team while going through the rehab process, tweets Pompey.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris spoke to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports about Harden’s situation, his early impressions of Nurse, and how several Sixers players on expiring contracts (including himself) will focus on team goals this season.
With the Harden saga still unresolved and the 76ers’ rivals in Boston and Milwaukee loading up ahead of the 2023/24 season, Pompey suggests in an article for The Philadelphia Inquirer that it’s fair to wonder if the club’s title window has closed.

James Harden Expected To Join Sixers For Training Camp

October 3rd, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard James Harden didn’t show up for the Sixers‘ media day on Monday in Camden, N.J. and wasn’t in attendance for the club’s first practice at Colorado State University on Tuesday.

However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Harden is expected to arrive in Colorado and join the 76ers for training camp soon — perhaps even later today.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a player is in violation of his contract and can be prevented from becoming a free agent if he withholds his services for more than 30 days during the final year of his deal.

It doesn’t appear Harden intends to test that CBA clause. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, when he met with league officials during the NBA’s investigation into his public comments calling Morey a “liar” in August, Harden indicated that he planned to fulfill his contractual obligations to the Sixers if the team didn’t end up trading him.

Still, the fact that Harden intends to report to the team doesn’t mean that he’ll withdraw his trade request or that the standoff between him and the Sixers has been – or will be – resolved. While Wojnarowski’s latest report doesn’t include any additional details on Harden’s mindset, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters on Monday that the former MVP continues to seek a change of scenery, as Bontemps details.

Prior to Wojnarowski’s report on Tuesday, one person who knows Harden well told Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns and is destructive.”

Here’s more on Harden:

Although the Clippers are still Harden’s preferred destination, there has been no traction on a deal between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, according to Wojnarowski, who hears from sources that the Sixers’ asking price remains high and L.A. isn’t eager to bid against itself.
Harden has already received 50% of his $35.64MM salary for the 2023/24 season, sources tell Bontemps. The star guard received a 25% payment on July 1 and another 25% by October 1. If he were to hold out, the Sixers could withhold future payments or seek to recoup some of the money Harden has already been paid.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Morey responded to Harden’s assertion that he’s a “liar,” explaining why he hasn’t addressed those comments until this week. “I haven’t responded to that because I think it falls flat on its face,” he said, per Bontemps. “In 20 years of working in the league, always followed through on everything. Every top agent knows that. Everyone in the league knows. You can’t operate in this job without that. So, you know, privately I’ve appreciated all the key people in the league reaching out to me and knowing obviously that’s not true. But like I said before, obviously it was disappointing that he chose to handle it that way.”
Weitzman’s full story on the relationship between Harden and Morey and how they got to this point is packed with interesting tidbits and is worth checking out in full.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Tucker, Oubre, Maxey, Green

October 2nd, 2023 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The impact that James Harden‘s standoff with the Sixers might have on star teammate Joel Embiid has been an ongoing subplot this offseason as the Harden saga drags on. Speaking to reporters on Monday for the first time this fall, Embiid was asked if he feels the need to put public pressure on his team’s front office to make a move, the way Giannis Antetokounmpo did this summer in Milwaukee.

“It’s tricky. I think it could go both ways,” Embiid said (Twitter video link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “… (The Sixers’ front office decision-makers) get paid to make those decisions, so that’s why I leave it up to them. If they want my opinion, maybe I give it, but I trust (them). Any team that I’m on, I’m still going to believe that I have a chance to win, no matter who’s on the roster. And we’ve got a lot of great players. I’m happy with what we have.”

Embiid went on to say that he thinks Tyrese Maxey could be primed to make a leap this season and that the Harden situation will “hopefully” be resolved soon.

“If he’s here, we love him and we want him to be with us, and I think we have a better team with him on the floor,” Embiid said. “And I think he knows it too, so hopefully that gets resolved. If that doesn’t (get resolved), it doesn’t change the goal, it doesn’t change anything. The goal is still to go out there and try to win a championship.”

Here’s more from the Sixers’ media day:

Veteran Sixers forward P.J. Tucker said today that his relationship with Harden goes “way beyond basketball” and that he supports him whether he ends up remaining in Philadelphia or getting traded elsewhere (Twitter video link via Pompey). Asked if he thinks Harden will end up reporting to the 76ers, Tucker said he has “no idea,” adding, “I know he feels strongly about how he feels.”
A feeling that he was wanted was a primary reason why Kelly Oubre signed with the Sixers, he told reporters today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). According to Oubre, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse both pushed hard for him to sign with the club.
Although he’s very much a part of their long-term plans, the Sixers aren’t looking to extend Maxey this offseason because they want to maximize their 2024 cap flexibility. Maxey said today that he’s not upset or discouraged by that decision, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “I’m focusing on the season,” he said. “… I love Philly. I know it’s a business. I know this is how it goes.”
Danny Green was limited to 11 appearances last season while recovering from ACL and LCL tears and he turned 36 in June, but the veteran swingman sounds optimistic about his chances of having a bounce-back season. “This is the best my body’s felt in a long time,” he said today, per Mizell (Twitter link).

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