Getty James Harden drives against Karl Anthony Towns
Three-time All-Star forward Ben Simmons‘ departure from the Philadelphia 76ers seems inevitable. It is not a matter of if but rather how and when it will happen. But with the deadline just weeks away, and no real traction on a trade for Simmons, a deal for him before this summer seems unlikely.
The latest Nets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Nets newsletter here!
Sixers in Pursuit of James Harden, Ben Simmons Swap
According to NBA insider Shams Charania of “The Athletic” Harden is one of the key components that is holding up a Simmons trade.
“With the NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, rival teams interested in three-time All-Star Ben Simmons believe Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has his sights set on a bigger target in the summertime: Brooklyn Nets star James Harden,” Charania said per “The Athletic”.
Philadelphia’s preference is to wait until the offseason to try to trade Ben Simmons for James Harden or another star, per @ShamsCharania
Morey Wants To Recreate Success Harden Had With Rockets
The reality is that the options for the Sixers trading Simmons at the deadline are significantly less than if they were to move him this summer. Moving Simmons during the summer free agency period would give the Sixers the option to execute a sign and trade for a player such as Harden. It would also make potentially losing Harden worthwhile for the Nets as getting Simmons in exchange would be a lot better than losing Harden for nothing. In addition, Harden would be reunited with his former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who is now president of basketball operations for the Sixers.
“The notion of Morey holding out hope for a Harden reunion should surprise no one who saw them thrive together during those eight seasons together in Houston. It wasn’t just the on-court success that created their bond, though the perennial playoff appearances (including two Western Conference Finals) didn’t hurt,” Charania continued.
“It was the way Morey empowered Harden like never before, hiring a coach in Mike D’Antoni whose system played so wonderfully to his strengths and building the roster around him throughout. And after Morey’s failed attempt to pull it off last summer, when a deal that would have sent Simmons to the Rockets was real enough that the Sixers point guard even started shopping for homes in the Houston area, it makes perfect sense that Morey would want to go down this familiar road again.”
Nets’ Rocky Season Could Contribute to Harden’s Exit
While the Nets sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, they have had to overcome a lot of hurdles to get to this point. Injuries to key Nets players such as Joe Harris and Kevin Durant have put a damper on what the Nets thought would be a season that they finally delivered the franchise its first championship. Couple that with the Kyrie Irving vaccine drama and the Nets look like a much less attractive destination for stars to come play. It is also one of the reasons why Harden is keeping his options open according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“The Nets’ rocky season so far, with an unvaccinated Irving able to play only in road games after missing the season’s first 35 games and Durant now sidelined for at least a month by a freakishly unfortunate knee sprain sustained Saturday against New Orleans, hasn’t exactly quelled the notion that Harden might actually be gettable in the summer,” Stein wrote per his Substack account last week.
Harden has expressed his desire to stay with the Nets long-term on multiple occasions. But as we have seen in the past, circumstances can change. It will be interesting to see what Harden chooses to do this summer.
READ NEXT: Top Three-Point Shooter Seen as ‘Sneaky Target’ for Brooklyn Nets: Report