DENVER — Eastern Conference contenders Milwaukee and Boston bolstered their rosters blockbuster trades in the off-season.
The Bucks acquired Damian Lillard from Portland in a bold move that gives the 2021 NBA champs one of the most potent inside-out threats in the league.
The Celtics, on the other hand, landed former Buck from Portland, adding another All-Star to a star-studded lineup that already includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who signed a max contract extension worth $304 million last season.
The Philadelphia 76ers, meanwhile, didn’t make any significant personnel changes and was instead dealing with a trade demand from James Harden.
While calling Sixers president Daryl Morey a “liar” last month, Harden vowed to “never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
But according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden showed up at the Sixers practice at Colorado State University today, perhaps signalling good things for both sides contract-wise.
“We’d love to have him. If not, we’ve still got a job to do,” Sixers star Joel Embiid told USA Today last month.
There’s a lot to like about Harden.
He is a 10-time All-Star and a former league MVP who has averaged 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per in 1000 regular season games.