The Philadelphia 76ers still need to make a decision when it comes to their next head coach. Mike D’Antoni has been linked and is considered one of the few serious candidates. With his connection to James Harden, could they pursue a trade with the Houston Rockets if D’Antoni is hired?

The Rockets fell short of achieving their championship aspirations during the first year of the duo with Harden and Russell Westbrook. While there is little reason to panic, the Western Conference is loaded with young up-and-coming teams while the Golden State Warriors will be back, too.

Trying to win with two ball dominant guards is difficult and the first choice for the Rockets would surely be to move Westbrook. However, Harden would be able to net the greatest potential return between the two and if there’s potential for him to be upset about D’Antoni’s departure, the option is at least worth exploring.

The 76ers wouldn’t have to make a push for Harden this offseason when considering he still two years remaining on his current contract. However, if the team wants to play smaller immediately, using Embiid in a potential trade package would make sense.

Let’s take a look at a trade that would send James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid to the Houston Rockets.