76ers' Joel Embiid Hopes James Harden's 'Mindset Can Be Changed' After Trade Request

It appears that 76ers guard James Harden is on his way out of Philadelphia, but Joel Embiid is thinking positively.

Showtime's Rachel Nichols spoke with the 2023 NBA MVP about the situation with his teammate, and he expressed hope about Harden's future in Philly.

"I want him to come back, obviously, so we can accomplish what we want, which is a championship," Embiid said. "Hopefully his mindset can be changed. Other than that, I'm just so happy to be his friend. We close and we've grown since he got here and, you know, that's what I'm excited about and I'm excited to keep that friendship for the rest of our lives."

Harden joined the 76ers after a midseason trade in 2021-22 and averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 58 regular season games and helped Philadelphia earn the three-seed in the Eastern Conference. He helped the Sixers reach the second round in both seasons, but they stalled out to the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics respectively, continuing a drought that has seen the franchise fail to surpass the second round since 2001.

The 10-time All-Star exercised his player option with the team, but it came with an expectation that he would be traded. Embiid is clearly trying to change that.

The 2014 third-overall pick had his best two seasons since Harden joined the fold in Philly, with his recent MVP season being a clear example of chemistry between the two. Harden's statistics have been consistent since he joined, but the prospect of playing with Embiid in a new coaching regime could be intriguing for the 2017-18 MVP.