Getty Tyrese Haliburton and CJ McColllum were the first players to be traded ahead of the February 10 deadline.
The NBA trade deadline is set for February 10 and no player is safe. Except for (maybe) Ben Simmons. There is increasing chatter that the three-time All-Star will remain with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simmons may even decide to end his boycott and suit up. That won’t stop the rest of the league from wheeling and dealing. The first shoe to drop started on Tuesday when the Portland Trail Blazers sent CJ McCollum packing to the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, McCollum fetched back guards Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Didi Louzada. The Sixers had long been rumored to be interested in McCollum as a consolation prize for Damian Lillard. Obviously, that deal never materialized and now he’s gone.
A player off the board for #Sixers in trade. Forget CJ McCollum. Per #ESPN.
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell. @SportsRadioWIP
McCollum’s departure could signal the beginning of a rebuild in Portland. Lillard is out for at least six weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery and recently said he’s in “no rush” to return. He won’t help anyone win a championship this season. But Portland could look to move him in the offseason, something Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck threw out on Twitter. And Philadelphia might be a very attractive destination.
The latest Sixers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Sixers newsletter here!
Kings Ship Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana
Another Sixers trade target went flying off the shelf on Tuesday. The Indiana Pacers acquired rising star guard Tyrese Haliburton in a six-player trade (via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski) that sent shockwaves through the NBA.
I think what’s blown me away by the reactions from Sixers fans over the Kings news is how many fans were hoping for Fox, when Haliburton is the significantly more intriguing piece.
Haliburton was thought to be untouchable at the deadline, especially after talks broke down with the Sixers. Nope. The Sacramento Kings sent Haliburton — along with guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson — to Indiana in exchange for Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a 2027 second-round pick. The Sixers had a reported offer (via The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey) on the table back on January 19, one that included Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. Philly was asking for Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two first-round picks.
“I’m a member of the Sacramento Kings so I’m gonna help fix this. It ain’t gonna be in a day but ima be here and we’re gonna make it work I promise that.”
– Tyrese Haliburton last month 😢
(h/t @AhnFireDigital)
More James Harden to Philly Noise
The idea of James Harden joining Joel Embiid in Philadelphia continues to pick up steam. Especially after the Brooklyn Nets star ruled himself out of Tuesday night’s game with hamstring tightness. The injury could be legitimate — to be fair, Harden has missed three straight games — but Sixers Twitter was reading it another way. Harden is refusing to play as he readies himself to be traded to the City of Brotherly Love.
The Harden drama sees no end in sight. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst compared it to a “high-stakes game of NBA trade deadline chicken.” Interesting. The plugged-in reporter stated there is “absolutely” a chance of Harden going to Philly before the 3 p.m. deadline on February 10.
Heard the Nets, 76ers, Pelicans and Thunder were / are trying to figure out a deal with James Harden, Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons as part of it. James Harden would end up in Philly.
One other player to monitor is Tobias Harris. If the Sixers move him at the deadline, then they are likely clearing cap space to make a serious run at Harden in the summer. As always, a lot is bound to happen between now and 3 p.m. on February 10.
“But these talks could just as well be a smokescreen, a masquerade by both parties to make it seem like each has more options than just a Harden-Simmons swap,” Windhorst wrote. “But every conversation, every move and countermove, before Thursday afternoon will pass through the lens of being part of the negotiation.”
A Simmons-Harden swap is very much on the table, @WindhorstESPN reports.
More on the potential trade and others percolating before the deadline (@ESPNPlus) ➡️ t.co/ujXUPyza5z
