The Philadelphia 76ers completed an NBA-altering move. They sent away Ben Simmons and role players to land James Harden and make a big push to win an NBA championship for the first time in decades.
Harden, albeit one of the most offensively gifted players in NBA history, had been in the midst of some controversy with the Brooklyn Nets and was rumored to be on the Sixers’ radar for quite some time.
Nonetheless, it seems like he was never Joel Embiid’s first choice. Instead, he was pushing Daryl Morey to try and make a run for Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, per Bill Simmons of The Ringer.
NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid Wanted The Sixers To Trade For Bradley Beal, Not James Harden
(Transcript viaJoseph Zucker of Bleacher Report)
“The Ringer’s Bill Simmons reported Thursday on his podcast that Embiid ‘really wanted’ Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal ‘and was pushing really hard for it.’
‘Part of the reason the trade stuff took so long was because there was the Sixers side that wanted Harden—obviously Daryl [Morey], because Harden is his guy,’ Simmons said at the 42-minute mark. ‘But Embiid really wanted Beal because he felt like he was a better fit and was pushing, pushing, pushing.’
Simmons also reported that Embiid was angling to land Beal even after the three-time All-Star suffered a wrist injury that eventually required season-ending surgery.”
Embiid Says He And Harden Are Unstoppable
Fortunately for Embiid and the Sixers, it seems like the move worked out perfectly for them. Now, they’re thriving together and figure to become one of the most dominant duos in the Association:
“Unstoppable,” Embiid said when asked to describe his new pairing.“What are you really gonna do? He’s a great passer and, obviously, I got someone that attracts a lot of attention so you gotta make a decision. Do you stay on me or do you stay on him?”
It’s been just a couple of games since Harden was able to make his Sixers debut but their offense looks, indeed, unstoppable. Even so, none of that will matter unless they find that same success in the postseason.
