There is a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the Philadelphia 76ers, as plenty of people expect them to at least try to trade James Harden at some point.
Even though he has declined a bit over the last couple of years, he is still one of the NBA’s better guards, and perhaps they will be able to get some decent value for him.
But now that cloud of uncertainty has gotten a bit darker due to an injury suffered by one of their rotation players.
Big man Montrezl Harrell has reportedly suffered a torn ACL and meniscus, per Shams Charania.
76ers center Montrezl Harrell has a torn ACL and meniscus after undergoing an MRI Wednesday to assess recent right knee swelling following his offseason workouts.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2023
Harrell, who was the Sixth Man of the Year for the 2019-20 season, doesn’t seem to be the same player he was recently, and he saw his minutes go down considerably this past season.
But big man depth is important for the Sixers since Joel Embiid has a history of knee problems and is always a risk to go down with a major injury.
They currently have the undersized Paul Reed and 7-footer Mo Bamba as reserve centers behind Embiid.
Philly is coming off another disappointing early playoff exit a few months ago, and they haven’t been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, when they went all the way to the NBA Finals.
In Embiid, they have the reigning regular-season MVP, while guard Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a borderline star.
They appeared to have the upper hand on the Boston Celtics when they took a 3-2 lead in the second round of the playoffs in May, but Embiid and Harden played badly in Game 7 as they fell to their old rivals.
NEXT:
Allen Iverson Discusses His Relationship With Philadelphia Fans