If James Harden holds out, how would the Sixers handle point guard duties?

James Harden is still a 76er. But the disgruntled star’s uncertain status, with less than two weeks remaining before the start of training camp, means a bevy of questions still loom about the Sixers’ point guard situation.

Even with the flaws in Harden’s game and his aging body, he is a visionary playmaker who led the NBA in assists (10.7 per game) last season for an offense that ranked third in the league in efficiency (117 points per 100 possessions). That is not easy to replace with players acquired in a hypothetical trade — or with others currently on the roster.

The Sixers do not have a pure point guard, which is not necessarily a requirement in the modern NBA. But if Harden holds out for any period of time, here are the other options to be their lead ballhandler and offense-initiator:

After Maxey averaged a career-high 20.3 points on 48.1% shooting in his third NBA season, one could argue that putting the ball in his hands on every possession is precisely the path he needs to make another leap into All-Star status.

Maxey, 22, also previously was the lead guard — under less-than-ideal circumstances — when Ben Simmons held out two seasons ago. Though this increased role ignited Maxey’s ascent to becoming one of the league’s most promising young players, he still needs more development as a passer. He averaged 3.5 assists last season and 4.3 in 2021-22.

The former Kentucky Wildcat’s speed is an asset while pushing the ball off rebounds or turnovers or in delivering kick-ahead passes that were emphasized last season under former coach Doc Rivers. In halfcourt sets, Maxey uses his burst to fly past defenders and into the paint. Yet he has struggled at times to finish at the rim through contact and has vocalized that these scenarios are where he can better recognize when to create for himself and when to facilitate. He also must continue building chemistry in the two-man game with reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, one of Maxey’s most vocal supporters.

It also would be interesting to monitor how shifting to lead ballhandler affects Maxey’s three-point shooting, which skyrocketed after Harden arrived in 2021. Maxey ranked fifth in the league in percentage (43.4%) last season and was a threat off the catch when pulling up.

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After Shake Milton signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Beverley joined the Sixers on a veteran minimum contract. Beverley, 35, is known more for his relentless defense — and for the way he agitates opponents and galvanizes his teammates — than his offensive repertoire.

Beverley, though, is a three-point threat with an occasional floater and an excellent rebounder for his position (4.2 per game over his career). He also averaged a career-best 4.6 assists while playing for the upstart Timberwolves two seasons ago.

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One potential concern: Beverley’s shooting percentage from long range has dipped since he left the Los Angeles Clippers, including a mark of 33.5% during a 2022-23 season split between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.

The 25-year-old Melton had an unexpectedly eventful first season with the Sixers, when he was asked to start, come off the bench, and play in closing lineups with a variety of teammates while logging a career-high 27.9 minutes per game.

Point guard experience has peppered Melton’s NBA career, dating back to his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19. That’s the only season in which he has averaged more than three assists per game. Instead, he has established a reliable three-point shot, making 39% on a career-high 5.2 attempts per game last season, although he struggled to finish at the rim.

Like Beverley, Melton is best cast as an impactful and opportunistic perimeter defender. Playing alongside Maxey, who still needs work on that end of the floor, could give the Sixers’ backcourt a boost.

Korkmaz has been out of the rotation for much of the last two seasons, playing in only 37 games in 2022-23. But the 26-year-old can slide to point guard in an absolute pinch, thanks to his experience holding that role with the Turkish national team.

He was most recently asked to do this with the Sixers two seasons ago when the guard group was decimated by health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 omicron variant surge.

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