The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be one of the Milwaukee Bucks’ biggest challengers in the Eastern Conference this season. This is regardless of the fact that James Harden is clearly doing everything he can to leave the team.
It’s hard to deny that Philly will be able to put up a more formidable challenge against the Bucks and the rest of the NBA with Harden in the picture, but it appears that that ship has already sailed.
Joel Embiid Reacts to James Harden’s Latest Antics

As if Harden’s previous statement about never wanting to play under Sixers president Daryl Morey ever again wasn’t enough, the former NBA MVP took another step in his quest to jump ship. This came in the form of Harden missing Wednesday’s mandatory team practice.
It comes as no surprise that this development took the league by storm and naturally, it was one of the first questions Sixers superstar big man Joel Embiid had to face when he spoke to the press. The reigning league MVP sidestepped the question, though, and decided to respond in jest:
“I don’t know. Maybe he has something to do,” Embiid told reporters. “I’m not sure.”
Joel Embiid, who goes on to say team had a good practice, on James Harden’s absence: “Maybe he had something to do” pic.twitter.com/FelUC0oqpf
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 18, 2023
Embiid then went on to talk about how the Sixers had a good practice regardless of Harden’s absence. The Sixers big man has been relatively mum when it comes to all this drama surrounding his teammate, and it doesn’t seem like this is going to change anytime soon.

Are Sixers Going to Be a Problem for Milwaukee Bucks?

So long as Joel Embiid is still on the team, there’s no doubt that the Sixers are still going to be a legitimate threat in the East. Thanks to their acquisition of Damian Lillard, the Bucks are expected to be one of the favorites to come out of the conference, along with the Boston Celtics, who for their part also made a handful of significant moves in the offseason.
Whether or not the Sixers will be a real problem in the East depends significantly on what happens with James Harden. Philly appears to still be trying to work out a trade deal for their disgruntled star and whatever they get in return will determine the type of challenge they will be able to put up against the likes of the Bucks and the Celtics.
Morey and the Sixers front office have been holding out on a Harden deal, so you can definitely assume that they’re expecting a major haul in exchange for the 10-time All-Star.
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