Joel Embiid on 76ers' Trade: 'Sucks to Lose' Teammates, 'But It’s James Harden'

Joel Embiid appears happy with the trade that brought James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, even with the high cost:

Harden is heading to his 10th All-Star Game this year and will be the best perimeter scorer Embiid has played with during his career. Even in a down year, the guard is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.

With Embiid playing at an MVP level, the 76ers suddenly become a top contender in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia gave up Ben Simmons in the deal, a player who did not appear for the team this season. Embiid said Friday he is "happy" he no longer has to answer questions about the situation and the team can move forward.

The other pieces headed to Brooklyn—Seth Curry and Andre Drummond—are bigger losses for the 76ers based on what they have done this season. Curry started all 45 games he played while averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game, fourth-best on the roster. Drummond's 8.8 rebounds per game were second-most on the team behind only Embiid.

Embiid showed his respect to these players, but he knows the squad got better at the trade deadline.