Patrick Beverley recruits James Harden amidst Sixers exit rumors in NBA free agent: "H**l yeah I want him here"

James Harden has reportedly been working on a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers after opting into his $35.6 million player option. Patrick Beverley, who recently signed with Philadelphia and spent five seasons as a teammate with Harden on the Houston Rockets, made it clear that he is hoping Harden isn't traded.

Speaking to the media at his introductory press conference, Beverley stated:

"Players are here to play. That decision is definitely above my pay grade. You can’t redo a James Harden so h**l yeah, you want him here. H**l yeah, you want him in the locker room. H**l yeah, you want him on the first day of practice.

"One of my decisions coming here was because James Harden was here. So I hope he stays. Hope that everybody can work something out or put that behind us and move forward. I think it’s important."

Check out Patrick Beverley's comments below:

Harden has spent the past year and a half with the 76ers after being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline in 2021-2022. He has averaged 21.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field, 37.0% from 3-point range and 87.6% from the free-throw line.

While it appeared inevitable that the 10-time All-Star would be traded at the onset of free agency, things have changed since the beginning of free agency. Harden's appearance at Michael Rubin's All-White Party with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris on the 4th of July has led to speculation that he could remain in Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid weighs in on James Harden's trade request

Joel Embiid and James Harden have been teammates since the latter joined the Philadelphia 76ers. They have reportedly developed a strong relationship off the court, as well. The 2022-2023 NBA MVP recently weighed in on how he felt about his teammate requesting a trade while speaking with Rachel Nichols, stating:

"Disappointed, but then again, I also understand, it's business. People make decisions and I'm more appreciative of the way he's handled the whole situation. We're going to be boys forever.

I want him to come back, obviously, so we can go out and accomplish what we want, which is to win a championship so hopefully that his mindset can be changed."

Check out Embiid's comments on Harden below:

Embiid added that he is happy to be friends with Harden and that the friendship will continue regardless of the outcome of his trade request. It is unclear what Philadelphia would be able to bring back if they do move on from the 2017-2018 NBA MVP.