Daryl Morey

The Sixers' moves ahead of Thursday afternoon's trade deadline spoke muffledly, so president of basketball operations Daryl Morey did the talking ahead of Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Sixers may not have enough resources to re-invent the gravity that Embiid's supporting cast lacks. But, they do have enough to go big-game hunting for a dynamic offensive weapon.

The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 8.

The commitment to Morey represents a continuity that Embiid longs for but has yet to experience. It also represents trust that Morey will be responsible with the control he's been rewarded.

For now, Harden is saying the right things. We'll see if that holds up in the throes of a playoff series.

Even though Embiid is loyal to this franchise, to Philadelphia, and to his teammates, he's not naive. He's not blind to the situation. There are certain expectations and standards that must be met in order for him to stay attached.

The sooner Harden's trade request is resolved, in one way or another, the sooner the Sixers can channel their focus entirely towards doing what they can to win a championship this season.

The Sixers' stance on Maxey has been remarkably consistent throughout the offseason - they view him as a cornerstone of their future. They don't just talk about building around Embiid; they talk about building around both him and Maxey. Any ear that will listen knows that the Sixers view Maxey as untouchable in trade talks. But, Paul is obviously watching the Harden situation unfold from afar.

It wasn't all that long ago that he posted two sentences on his Instagram Story: "Been comfortable for so long. It's time to get uncomfortable." Now, Harden is trying to make the Sixers uncomfortable by opening the door to what he feels is the truth.

The heat is officially on all Philadelphia sports teams this summer with the Flyers unable to bring home Johnny Gaudreau and Phillies on a 4-game losing streak