James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers have undoubtedly been the centerpiece of the biggest soap opera of the NBA offseason. Harden has asked to be traded, but the 76ers appear either unwilling or unable to fulfill that request. With the start of the season fast approaching, the impasse has left both Harden and the 76ers in limbo.
Not only are Harden and the 76ers uncertain of what will happen but fans and bettors are in the same boat. Online sports betting has been legal in Philadelphia and the rest of Pennsylvania since 2019. Naturally, several PA sportsbooks are expecting to receive plenty of wagers related to the 76ers in the lead-up to the season. The problem is that bettors don’t know what will happen with Harden, as his fate could be tied with Philadelphia’s NBA title hopes.
At this point, it doesn’t appear that the 76ers are trying hard to trade Harden. He was reportedly hoping to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, talks between the 76ers and Clippers made little progress and appear to be all but over. The team’s current stance is that Harden will stay with the team for the 2023-24 season. The catch is that Harden has indicated that he won’t report to training camp, which begins October 2.
In theory, Harden staying with the team is best for the 76ers. That would give Philadelphia last year’s NBA assist leader, which was Harden, as well as the league’s leading scorer and MVP, which was center Joel Embiid. The 76ers also have cornerstone players like Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, creating a roster that has championship potential. However, at least half a dozen other NBA teams have shorter odds of winning the NBA title than the 76ers, including the rival Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, who are the leading favorites in the Eastern Conference.
The uncertainty with Harden’s status has certainly made some oddsmakers bullish about Philadelphia’s title chances for the upcoming season. If Harden holds out of training camp, it could force the 76ers to re-engage with the Clippers and other teams in trade talks. Even if Harden isn’t able to force a trade, if he’s unhappy staying in Philadelphia, it could have an adverse effect on the team. Few NBA teams are able to overcome a disgruntled star player, so a talented roster may not matter if Harden doesn’t want to be a part of the 76ers.
Of course, the 76ers aren’t necessarily out of the championship picture if Harden were to be traded. Maxey averaged over 20 points per game last season and could also handle the playmaker role that Harden did last year. Also, there’s no telling what players the 76ers could get back if they trade Harden. Plus, as the reigning MVP, Embiid is surely capable of carrying the 76ers a long way this season.
It’s also worth noting that there aren’t any serious championship contenders in the Eastern Conference outside of the Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers. With or without Harden, Philadelphia shouldn’t have to worry too much about outperforming any Eastern Conference teams other than Boston and Milwaukee. However, getting past both of those teams won’t be easy, even with Harden on board.
The bottom line is that the 76ers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either they will trade Harden and lose a superstar or they will play with a disgruntled superstar this season. Neither option gets them closer to winning a title. This is why Philadelphia’s championship odds are bound to only get more remote as the Harden drama continues to play out and why the 76ers aren’t a good bet to win the 2024 NBA title.