Since trading James Harden on November 1, the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t lost a game, while the Los Angeles Clippers have yet to register a win, writes Robert O’Connell for The Wall Street Journal.

If there is one person who could be considered the biggest beneficiary of the Harden trade, it’s his former backcourt teammate, Tyrese Maxey.

Upon searching for a suitable Harden trade, Sixers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey previously said on a radio show, “We need to make sure that Joel Embiid … has a top running mate.”

In the season’s first 10 games, Maxey has already made his case.

This past Sunday against the Indiana Pacers, Maxey led the team with a career-high 50 points to help the Sixers improve to 8-1 on the season. 

While Harden is still figuring things out in Los Angeles, Maxey and the Sixers are trucking along.

The dynamic brings to the forefront the idea that it’s not always about how the players received in a trade perform on the court, but also about the players who remain on the team.

Joel Embiid has high hopes for Maxey.

“He’s going to be here for a long time,” he said.

Read more about the dynamic the James Harden trade has created for the Sixers, Clippers, and the NBA at The Wall Street Journal.

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