Getty LeBron James and Kevin Durant react in the second half during Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The NBA trade deadline was on February 10 and the myriad of deals for different teams did not disappoint. But the biggest trade of the day had to be the Brooklyn Nets shipping James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for 3-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Speculation of the move had been discussed among league officials for weeks, with both sides giving their insight into it. However, one person pitched the idea to one of the Nets stars before it was even seen as a possibility, which makes this storyline even more interesting.
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Rich Paul Pitched Harden Trade to Durant in January
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski at least one of the Nets stars was pitched the idea of moving Simmons to Brooklyn almost a month before the deadline. This happened during a meeting with Rich Paul, the agent to NBA stars such as LeBron James and Ben Simmons.
“On January 13th, Rich Paul met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in New York City. The conversation transitioned to basketball, and Paul made a case for a James Harden for Ben Simmons trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers,” Shelburne writes.
“Paul represents Simmons and it is hard to argue that there was a better situation for him anywhere other than Brooklyn. Durant initially resisted the pitch, but he was injured 48 hours later and the Nets have been in free fall ever since. While Durant may have initially preferred to keep Harden, the actions of Harden effectively asking out of Brooklyn made the decision for both Durant and the franchise.”
Ben Simmons has already talked to Kevin Durant and Sean Marks, @KlutchSports‘ Rich Paul tells ESPN. Simmons is eager to join Nets and ramp up for a return to play this season, Paul says. “We’ve got to work to do to get him back to play, but it’s a great step in right direction.”
Sean Marks Sounds off on Harden’s Trade Request
Just about two weeks before the trade deadline the rumor wheel was beginning to spin about the possibility that Harden was ready to leave the Nets. General manager Sean Marks spoke to the media after the trade to discuss the circumstances around the decision and how it came to be made.
“I think it’s just a feeling when you know this is not working. Whether it’s on the court, off the court, for a variety of different circumstances,” Marks said per SNY.
“Again, I give James credit for being open, upfront, and honest. That’s the way this organization prides itself on. It’s not like neither team did not want this to work, it was more like this is the right time and it’s the right thing to do.”
“We went all-in getting on James Harden and inviting him into the group. These decisions, to move on from a player like that, of that caliber, are not easy ones.”
– Sean Marks
Marks: Ben Simmons Fits Nets ‘Needs’
Currently, the Nets are in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, riding an 11-game losing streak. Durant has been out since last month with a sprained MCL, and Kyrie Irving continues to only play away games as a result of New York City’s vaccination mandate.
Marks was asked about the addition of Ben Simmons to the squad and whether he thinks the trajectory of his team will change.
“You see where some of our holes are, and to be quite frank, Ben plugs a lot of those holes. The three players that we traded for fit a lot of our needs,” Marks said per SNY.
“We specifically asked about Ben. You know the size, the elite defense, the elite passing skills, the finishing at the rim … all the things that we need, all the things we’ve sort of been short on I think over the course of this last year, I think we’re looking forward to Ben coming I and trying to fill those roles.”
Sean Marks on the addition of Ben Simmons to the Nets:
“You see where some of our holes are, and to be quite frank, Ben plugs a lot of those holes. The three players that we traded for fit a lot of our needs.”
Simmons is unlikely to play for the Nets before this year’s All-Star Weekend, but it is obvious that the Nets have big aspirations for their newest addition. As for Harden, the Nets organization has made it clear that there is no animosity between the two parties and that the decision was best for everyone involved.
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