It should come as no surprise the 76ers have been linked to Rockets guard James Harden, who is evidently ready for a change of scenery after eight enormously successful seasons in Houston. After all, former Rockets GM Daryl Morey is running the show in Philly these days, serving in his current capacity as Sixers President of Basketball Operations.
One impediment to the 76ers acquiring Harden has been Morey’s unwillingness to part with either Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, both cornerstones of the “Process” movement that began under then-GM Sam Hinkie. But Tim MacMahon of ESPN anticipates another, much larger hurdle to clear in negotiations with Houston.
“If you don’t think there are hard feelings in Houston about, not just the way that Daryl Morey left, but how he just hopped on that Sixers bandwagon so quickly, there absolutely are,” said MacMahon on “The Lowe Post Podcast” with Zach Lowe, implying the Rockets might be hesitant to cooperate with Morey, especially after his abrupt departure this offseason. “Let’s be honest, Daryl Morey absolutely quit on the Rockets. He talked about how he needed a gap year to spend time with the kids. Then he slept on it and the next thing you know, he’s with the Sixers.”
MacMahon’s assertion that Morey “quit” on the Rockets may seem harsh, but it’s not entirely inaccurate. To the casual observer, it would certainly seem that Morey saw a better opportunity in Philadelphia and made a run for it. With the wound still fresh, it’s easy to see why Houston would want nothing to do with its ex-general manager. After the stunt he just pulled, why would the Rockets voluntarily roll out the red carpet for Morey, especially when doing so would mean giving up their second-leading scorer in franchise history?
While MacMahon acknowledges that Morey defecting to Philadelphia could complicate matters in the Sixers’ ongoing pursuit of Harden, he still thinks the sides could eventually find a middle ground. “It’s not like there are a lot of potential Harden deals out there that would make sense,” reasoned MacMahon. “I think that [owner] Tilman Fertitta could get over any hard feelings for Daryl Morey if that is clearly the best and maybe only way that they’re going to get legitimate value for James Harden.”
If you’re wondering how Morey will be received in his return to Houston, you won’t have to worry about that for a while. The Rockets and Sixers are only scheduled to meet once in the first half and that game will be played in Philadelphia.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram