As the Toronto Raptors try to revamp the roster and rebuild in the 2023-24 NBA season, former head coach Nick Nurse is trying to keep the Philadelphia 76ers in the championship picture. It appears as though he will have to do so without the services of star guard James Harden.
While Harden requested a trade before even playing a game under Nurse, Philly seemed ready to move that request over to the side and bring the future Hall of Famer back into the fold for 2023 and beyond. Harden seemed completely unwilling to do so, seemingly ending his friendship with executive Daryl Morey.
Harden called Morey a “liar” and insisted that he would never play a game for any organization that employs him. You can’t walk these kinds of statements back, as Harden has gone scorched earth on Philadelphia. The Raptors have to be cackling with laughter after these developments.
While Toronto has defended Harden fairly well in their more recent matchups, getting one of the league’s more automatic double-double threats out of the lineup is only going to put more pressure on a 76ers team dealing with a new coach and general lack of depth in key areas.
Disgruntled Harden calls 76ers prez Morey a 'liar' - via @ESPN App https://t.co/iG87tVEAWL
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 14, 2023
Toronto Raptors fans will love James Harden causing chaos.
While any team led by Joel Embiid and Raptors nemesis Tyrese Maxey will be a problem, the fact that Embiid will turn 30 this season and his pick-and-roll partner in Harden will be gone severely limits how impactful he can be. Nurse will once again take over a roster with a thin backcourt.
Harden’s name has come up in trade talks, and the Los Angeles Clippers have shown a degree of interest in trying to acquire him. In fact, Harden appears to have been angling for a move to LA. This declaration may not make a trade any more likely, however, as it will just ruin whatever leverage Philly had.
The Raptors are not going to be better than the 76ers next season, with or without Harden. However, in a play-in race that will be extremely close, is it possible that Toronto will pick up an extra win or two against Philadelphia, all while sticking it to their former coach in Nurse? Don’t rule it out.
https://twitter.com/BovadaOfficial/status/1691067087039418369
Any Atlantic Division chaos indirectly benefits the Raptors, especially when it threatens to take one of the best teams in the league down a peg. Harden minimizing the potential trade return he could recoup is a win for the Raptors.