What the NBA world was waiting for with bated breath finally happened on Wednesday just hours before the NBA trade deadline, as the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a deal that sent James Harden to the Sixers and Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first-round picks to the Nets.
The deal is a much needed one for both parties, as the Sixers finally rid themselves of Simmons, who clearly didn't want to be there. For the Nets, they add an elite passer and perimeter defender in Simmons- and two key contributors- while moving on from Harden, who was seeking greener pastures.
That said, let's take a look at the whole NBA trade deadline blockbuster and provide our grades for the Nets and Sixers on the Harden-Simmons deal.
Sixers Grade: A-
Admittedly, the Sixers had to give up a whole lot to bring James Harden to Philly. However, Sixers GM Daryl Morey deserves credit for not only trading Ben Simmons, who hasn't played a single minute this year, but getting an MVP-caliber player like Harden in return.
Not only that, but the Sixers were able to keep youngsters such as Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, two of their key building blocks for the future. In acquiring Harden from the Nets at the NBA trade deadline, the Sixers are clearly putting all of their eggs in the basket for a championship this season.
Whether that's wise or not remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue against their chances right now, considering that Harden, a nine-time All-Star, three-time scoring champ, and former league MVP, will easily be the best player that Joel Embiid has ever played with.
There's always the question of fit when two expressive stars like Harden and Embiid are being paired, though the fit certainly can't be any worse than that of Simmons and Embiid. It hurts for the Sixers to part ways with the sharpshooting Curry and the reliable backup in Drummond, who has been a key piece in relief of Embiid at times. However, that's the price teams have to pay in this current, star-chasing environment of the NBA.
Nets Grade: B+
What an NBA trade deadline haul for the Nets. While there's certainly a level of unpredictability in acquiring Ben Simmons from the Sixers, he certainly seems to fit at first glance as an elite distributor and defender alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Also, it's highly impressive for the Nets to have turned Harden into Simmons, a much-needed sharpshooter in Seth Curry and a much-needed big man in Andre Drummond. Not only did the Nets subtract James Harden, who was seemingly entering into locker room-distraction territory, but they also managed to address two of their biggest areas of need while also securing two future first-round picks from Philly.
It hurts for the Nets to have to admit that the James Harden experiment didn't work out, but they can rest easier at night knowing that a core of Durant, Irving- if he becomes a full-time player- and Simmons is perfectly capable of competing for a championship.
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