It's not every day your favorite team engages in an absolute blockbuster trade. Fans spend a lot of time concocting them on trade machines but so rarely do they actually go down. Thursday's NBA Trade deadline was not one of those days. This time, we really got one.
The Brooklyn Nets traded James Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and a couple of future draft picks. After the Nets' 10th loss in a row, a 113-112 heartbreaker to the Washington Wizards, the team was allowed to comment on the deal since it was finally official.
“We really just look forward, be excited to incorporate these new guys into our group,” said Nets coach Steve Nash. “I think they fill needs for us. And it should be an exciting time for us to reset, to rebuild, and to hopefully put together a really competitive, terrific team in a short period of time.”
Nash recently made the declaration that he expected Harden to stay with the Nets. But in hindsight, it sounds like that was a leverage play by a coach aligned with his front office's best interest. So did something change from the time he made his comments?
“You'd have to ask (Nets general manager Sean Marks), I wasn't up there with him I was here focusing on the team,” said Nash. “(But) I'm not surprised, I think in the last, in the hours as the hours ticked by today seemed more apparent, you're never surprised but when I was asked those questions (about Harden's future) there was no conversation (yet) between the two teams.”
It sounds like the Nets and the Sixers waited until the last couple of hours to finally pick up the phone. Imagine those nervous sweaty hours, where you know you might swing a franchise-altering deal and you're just waiting for the other side to blink first and call you? You can bet the two front offices will sleep well tonight, as will the players who don't have to uproot and change cities.
Did Harden open up about being unhappy in the days before this happened? Maybe so, as his situation led him to seek what's now his third team in just over a calendar year. Nash remained tight-lipped on the matter.
“I have not talked to James about unhappiness,” admitted Nash. “Other than just typical day-to-day how can we make this thing better, so no. I reached out to him, wished him the best of luck.”
Nash added that Harden and company could suit up pretty soon for the Nets.
“I think there's a good chance that Seth and Andre could join us, I'm not sure that they'll play, but they could join us in Miami. I think Ben (Simmons) has a lot more kind of physical and on-boarding stuff to go through since he hasn't played.”
Blake Griffin has played with Drummond in the past with the Detroit Pistons. Griffin called Drummond a “monster” and said you might look up at the end of the first quarter and see he already has a double-double. He'll team up with Simmons for the first time, and while there are issues with the All-Star guard's shooting, Griffin would rather focus on the positive side of things.
“I'm not worried about Ben,” said Griffin. “He's been a highly effective player since he stepped in this league, just because what happened in Philly doesn't mean he can't play basketball anymore. He can definitely do that so we'll be fine.”
Griffin also sounded off on how defenses can never leave Curry, Patty Mills, and obviously Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, not even for a second. So once the Nets find their flow, Simmons should find his own groove.
“Obviously, I think Ben (Simmons) was done there (in Philadelphia). You can see that from not playing,” added Griffin.
What did the Nets get? Griffin's answer was intriguing as he touched on what everyone's thinking: Harden simply didn't want to be on the team anymore.
“As far as us, I think we definitely wanted guys who wanted to be here. Guys who want to play. And I think we're excited about that,” said the veteran forward.
Irving, meanwhile, said he'll welcome Simmons with open arms. The two guards actually played together when they were younger in Australia. Simmons has a friendly history as well with Mills.
Patty Mills delivered a message of support for Ben Simmons: "I've got his back. I've always had his back, and now I've got the opportunity to be with him. I've had his back from afar, and I wish I was with him earlier in his career.. So I'm excited to be with him in this aspect."
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) February 11, 2022
“He's 1.01 in my opinion,” said Irving. “I think we all have skill sets that are very unique and we bring different things to the table and when I look at Ben I see so many different skill sets that he has that he can bring out to the floor with us and I see so many different positions that he can play out there for us.”
Kyrie Irving on the trade: "Now that it's official we can say our peace to James and wish him well. I just want everybody to be happy."
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) February 11, 2022
The Nets, however, have a lot of work to do. They've lost 10 games in a row, and Simmons still has some hurdles before he's eligible for game action.
"In terms of Simmons’ eventual availability with a new team, the message has been sent that he would be ready to play after a few weeks of intensified conditioning and court action."#nets@sam_amick wrote on Jan. 12
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) February 10, 2022
Simmons hasn't played since the Sixers' fateful Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Playoffs last June. But after a much-needed All-Star Break, the Nets should start to take shape with their new pieces. Their most important piece, of course, is Durant. He opted not to reveal his injury status during a TNT appearance on Thursday.
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