Kendrick Perkins says James Harden’s camp was telling people in Philadelphia they wanted to play with Joel Embiid next year

There has been some speculation about James Harden’s future with the Brooklyn Nets lately, as the superstar is apparently not loving his current situation.

Meanwhile, a recent report indicated that the Philadelphia 76ers would like to keep star guard Ben Simmons around until the offseason so they can use him to acquire a superstar like Harden.

Now, former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins has added another interesting twist to the story. According to Perkins, Harden’s camp was communicating with folks in Philadelphia about what the future may hold.

Obviously, if Harden were to end up in a Sixers uniform, it would change the landscape of the Eastern Conference. The Nets would lose a crucial member of their Big 3, and the Sixers would gain a superstar to put alongside Joel Embiid.

The 2021-22 season hasn’t been Harden’s most impressive showing so far, but he has still been able to post big numbers. He’s averaging 23.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game while shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from deep.

The Sixers are in an interesting situation with Simmons. If they don’t trade him before this season’s deadline for a nice return, they likely won’t be able to seriously challenge for the 2022 NBA title. Considering the elite season Embiid is having, that would be a shame.

However, giving Embiid a player like Harden to work with next season would make the idea of essentially punting on this season an easier one to swallow for Sixers fans. A duo featuring Embiid and Harden would be very intimidating.

Time will tell what the future holds for both the Nets and Sixers.