Exclusive: "He doesn't have to get back to the James Harden of scoring 40 points" - Former Sixers and Nets GM on what it'll take for 10x All-Star and Joel Embiid to propel Sixers to glory

Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden

Former Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King believes James Harden must be a distributor and not a bulk scorer to help his team contend for the title.

Here's what King told Jeff Skversky on Sportskeeda's exclusive podcast Inside The Huddle regarding Harden's role on the Sixers, around the 26-min mark in the full video shared below:

"He doesn't have to get back to the James Harden of scoring 40 points. Like he said, he almost averaged a triple-double. He's a distributor. Now you need Tobias Harris to be more consistent. PJ Tucker to come in. They've got the pieces, it's gonna take a lot of health and luck to overcome that."

Harden is more committed than ever to winning his first championship. He took a $15 million pay cut by opting out of his $47 million player option and re-signing with the Sixers on a two-year, $68.6 million contract. Harden will earn $33 million this campaign, while the second year will be a player option worth $35 million.

"The Beard's" reduced salary gave the Philadelphia 76ers the flexibility to sign free agents PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr. They also signed De'Anthony Melton to bolster their depth, which is crucial for a contending team.

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Philadelphia 76ers need James Harden to show up in the postseason

James Harden has had an illustrious NBA career individually. The Philadelphia 76ers star has won a league MVP, Sixth Man of the Year and three scoring titles. Harden had ten All-Star nominations and a spot on the 75th Anniversary team. The only thing missing for him is an NBA championship.

He has been on three contending teams since 2020. After failing to achieve success with the Rockets, he moved to the Brooklyn Nets. There, he teamed up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They could only go as far as the conference semifinals during their only postseason appearance together.

James Harden moved to the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline this year. His tenure in Philly started on a bright note, but his performances gradually declined over the course of the season. Harden's poor form followed him into the playoffs.

In the elimination contest against the Miami Heat in round two, Harden produced only 11 points on 4-9 shooting. He ended the playoffs by tallying 18.6 points per game on 40% shooting. That kind of an underwhelming output was always going to put pressure on the Sixers to win, especially with Joel Embiid not 100% healthy.

James Harden will have to try improve his output next season. As Billy King mentioned, the former MVP doesn't have to average 40 points a game. However, he needs to provide support Embiid as a secondary scorer and primary distributor.