Report: 76ers expected to pursue Harden

The Philadelphia 76ers' new-look front office has its sights set on acquiring a game-changing talent.

Philadelphia is expected to pursue Houston Rockets superstar James Harden, Stadium's Shams Charania reports. However, the Rockets are emphatically against trading their franchise star, Charania adds.

Daryl Morey, the Sixers' new president of basketball operations, has a well-documented history with Harden. The then-Rockets general manager acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012.

Philadelphia officially hired Morey - who left Houston last month - on Monday.

Harden remains one of basketball's most dominant offensive players. He won the 2017-18 MVP award and has finished in the top three in MVP voting for four straight seasons. The 31-year-old has helped the Rockets qualify for an NBA-best eight consecutive playoff berths since 2013.

The Sixers are coming off a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. It's unclear what pieces they would potentially be willing to trade away for Harden.