With the James Harden saga now having been resolved, albeit in lackadaisical fashion, the Philadelphia 76ers have no choice but to accelerate their delayed preparation for the upcoming campaign. While the 2023-24 season is still a couple of months away, the front office still has work to do in filling out the roster that can give them a chance to once again contend for a title.
However, that final sentence could be adorned with an asterisk sooner than later. Given all the banality and dysfunction that have surrounded the franchise in recent years atop the lack of meaningful on-court accolades to validate their modus, the 76ers would be wise to brace for the ugly possibility of an even worse ending showing itself later down the road.