The dust from the NBA trade deadline has settled, and there is a seismic shakeup in the Eastern Conference. After a months-long stalemate, the Ben Simmons saga involving the Sixers, Daryl Morey and the point forward finally reached its end.
The news became official in the final hours before the deadline, as the 76ers and Brooklyn Nets swapped All-Stars. Simmons is on his way to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving while James Harden will be heading to Philadelphia.
After endless speculating of when this ordeal might end, we finally have an answer. Along with removing this cloud from over the team's head, the Sixers now have an elite-level talent to pair alongside Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.
While most of the chatter has been about which team came away the winner of this deal, there is another storyline that deserves some attention. Despite facing a lot of backlash, Daryl Morey executed this saga to near perfection.
Many executives would have succumbed to the pressure early on and settled for a lesser package, but not Morey. He kept his feet to the fire and was rewarded greatly for his patience.
Situations like this are why Daryl Morey was in no rush to move Simmons. He knew a team would stumble out the gates or get into panic mode at some point. That team just so happened to be a conference rival in the Brooklyn Nets.
Between quarrels within their big three and Harden's impending free agency, they were forced to make a decision. Because he held onto his most valuable trade chip, Morey was in a position to pull off this mega-deal and enjoy the reunion with Harden he has long-awaited.
If not for Morey's patience, the Sixers would not find themselves in a primed position to contend this year and for years to come. Other packages might have put an end to this ordeal sooner, but none could raise the team's ceiling in a way adding a player like Harden does.
Whether people want to admit it or not, Morey proved a lot of doubters wrong with this trade. Many agreed that between Simmons' hiatus from the team and recent playoff showing, his value was at an all time low. Despite all that, Morey still managed to facilitate a deal that landed him an All-Star player and former MVP.
During his time in Houston, Morey built a reputation for swinging big deals. Trading for Harden is the latest addition to his list of blockbuster trades as an executive.
The ability to land high-level talent is the main reason why the Sixers' ownership heavily pursued Daryl Morey when his time in Houston came to an end. Thanks to his patience, the team now has a formidable big three that will put them in the title picture for years to come.
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