If James Harden is traded, how will Sixers guard’s tenure in Philly be remembered?

Harden, who opted into the final year of his deal and could soon be traded, had a up-and-down two seasons with the Sixers.

Daryl Morey (right) with James Harden after the Sixers acquired Harden in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published Jun. 30, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

For the 76ers, re-signing James Harden in free agency was a necessary evil ... until it wasn’t.

The point guard had a history of postseason shortcomings. Some Sixers fans are still amazed that Harden failed to score in the fourth quarters of Games 5, 6, and 7 on a combined 0-for-6 shooting in May’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics.

Nonetheless, the belief was that the Sixers couldn’t afford to lose him.

All that changed Thursday when Harden opted into the $35.6 million player option on his contract for next season.

The two sides are working together to find a new team for the 10-time All-Star via a trade. A league source confirmed that the Los Angeles Clippers are interested in acquiring Harden. The New York Knicks are reportedly among other franchises that could engage with the Sixers on a potential deal. However, a league source said the Knicks are not interested in Harden at this time.

If he is traded, how will he be remembered in Philadelphia?

The city was ecstatic when the Sixers acquired him Harden on Feb. 10, 2022, from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade for Ben Simmons. The belief was that he would help catapult the team into an NBA Finals appearance. Now, two postseason appearances later, the team still has a second-round ceiling.

Harden did lead the NBA in assists this season at 10.7 per game. He is the first Sixer to win the league assist title since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-68. Harden and MVP Joel Embiid, who won his second straight scoring title, formed one of the league’s best duos.

But Harden is blamed for partly having a hand in Doc Rivers’ firing. Harden didn’t see eye-to-eye with the former Sixers coach. He also did not extend an olive branch to him following an embarrassing 112-88 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the conference semifinals at TD Garden.

Harden was noncommittal when asked about his relationship with Rivers and whether he wanted him back.

“Our relationship is OK,” Harden said.

But Harden’s play in Game 7 also didn’t stop Rivers from being fired.

The three-time scoring champion looked uninterested from the start, and scored just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting to go with five turnovers. This marked the second time is as many seasons that Harden had a lackluster effort in the final game of the season.

He finished with 11 points, nine assists, and four turnovers in a 99-90 conference semifinal loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 on May 12, 2022. Harden was held scoreless in the second half.

While he struggled in close-out and winner-take-all Game 7 playoff games, his selfless play was a major reason the Sixers were one of the league’s hottest teams heading into the playoffs.

Yet critics will use the 33-year-old guard’s off-day ventures out of town as examples of him not being dedicated to the game. That, they say, is part of the reason why you can’t win a championship with him.

And because of that, a lot of Sixers fans are excited that the team is trying to trade him.

The Sixers would benefit from bringing back Paul Reed and acquiring a backup point guard, a shooting specialist, and a towering reserve center in free agency.

Having Harden opt out and possibly losing him in free agency would have been less than ideal for the Sixers. Allowing Harden to walk with no compensation would have only set them back.

But keeping him likely won’t elevate them to a championship contender. The Sixers have Embiid and an emerging young star in Tyrese Maxey on a team with a dwindling championship window.

Right now, the Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are the early favorites to reach the conference finals. But there are some question marks about both franchises.

Are the Bucks going to re-sign some of their nine unrestricted free agents, namely standouts Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez? How will the Kristaps Porzingis experiment work in Boston? And how much will the Celtics miss Marcus Smart, who had been their heart and soul the past nine years?

Those questions are significant enough for the Sixers to have a chance to make a run under new coach Nick Nurse … if they can get a standout player for Harden.

For now, Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton, and Montrezl Harrell will join Reed on the free-agent market. As a restricted free agent, Reed can sign an offer sheet with any team. The Sixers can retain him by matching the terms of that offer.

Reed averaged career highs of 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 10.9 minutes this past season. While the three-year veteran made an impact, the Sixers need to add more of a true center to the bench. At 6-foot-9, Reed is undersized and more in the center/power forward model. The team would be wise to add a veteran player in the backup center role that Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard once held. They could add a veteran player at the end of his career to become a third-string insurance policy.

The Sixers could also benefit from acquiring a true point guard as Harden’s backup. A designated shooter in the mold of former Sixers JJ Redick and Seth Curry would also help.

But the No. 1 priority is replacing Harden with a championship-caliber player.

If they can do that, how will his Sixers tenure be judged? Will it be remembered for the dimes he dished out in the regular season, for being perceived as getting Rivers fired, or will it be his postseason struggles against the Celtics and Heat?