James Harden and Paul Millsap were introduced to the Philadelphia media around 12:17pm, as they were joined by Sixers brass Josh Harris, Daryl Morey, and head coach Doc Rivers.
As it is well documented what Daryl Morey and the Sixers were looking for when it came to trading Ben Simmons, Morey again stated today that they were always looking for a player with a particular set of skills to pair with Embiid. James Harden fits that mold and the Sixers are well-positioned to make a title run because of this trade.
As the press conference was primarily focused on James Harden, Paul Millsap might have had the line of the day. After 12 1/2 minutes worth of questions were asked, Sixers.com reporter Lauren Rosen shifted, coming to Millsap finally, asking, “You have played for some really good teams and some really good coaches, so what excites you about this Sixers team?”
Paul replied, “First off appreciate it, it was getting a little weird up here”
The press conference continued with a series of questions, being asked mainly to James Harden.
Main Takeaways
First on the list of notable thoughts to take away from the presser is that it was reported earlier today that James Harden did not sign paperwork required for him to opt into the remaining year of his contract. This contrasts the report that this was one of the requirements for the trade to happen.
Harden then replied that he was focusing on getting to Philadelphia and that he still has time, but will opt into his $47.4 Million option year in 2022-23.
Harden also mentioned the fans, as it was stated to him that, since the trade, his jersey has been sold out. In response, Harden stated how Sixers fans are the best fans in the NBA and added that he is just happy they’re on his side and not booing him anymore.
When asked about his choice to initially wanting to leave Houston, Harden mentioned that Philadelphia was his first choice of where he wanted to be traded.
Fitting In
Toward the end, Harden was asked the question we all wanted to know- if he and Embiid can mesh and co-exist. Harden answered with a simple reply, “When you have high-level skilled guys that know the game, you will figure it out.”
In conclusion, it seems that the Sixers organization was committed to pairing Embiid with a player like Harden to make a real run at winning a championship this year. All of this also came without having to mortgage their future, as they also stayed committed to keeping young players like Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle.
James Harden seems healthy, happy, motivated, and committed to doing whatever it takes to help this 76ers team in winning a championship. Although James did not want to get into much detail about what transpired in Brooklyn, he reiterated multiple times that he is happy to be in Philadelphia- the place where he wanted to be all along.
The whole press conference can be summed up by one question and one quote. When asked if he can see a pairing of himself and Embiid winning a possible championship, Harden replied with a quick “HELL YEA!”
The Sixers look like they have a plan for how they want to shape this team, now and for the future, with everyone having a common goal in mind- Bring a title to the city of Philadelphia.
Photo by Will Navarro/Icon Sportswire
