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With the Ben Simmons saga continuing for several months already, Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey is probably ecstatic now that the Brooklyn Nets are open to trade discussions with superstar James Harden. It has been reported that Morey has not seriously considered any previous offers because he wants to pursue Harden in free agency.
A few weeks ago, the Nets were adamant that they would stick it out with their current Big 3 and would not even consider any trade involving Harden. However, it seems that it has changed as they are currently in the midst of a losing streak without Kevin Durant. The roster construction of the Nets focuses a ton on their offensive sets revolving around their Big 3, but they lack tough and rugged stoppers on their squad.
Even if Simmons has not played a single second of NBA basketball this 2021-22, the Nets could use a player who possesses his arsenal. In Ramona Shelburne's recent piece on ESPN, she stated that Simmons has been consistently working out and is still fit and ready to play when he is dealt by the Sixers. As for Harden, he is currently performing at a disappointing rate this year, with his production dropping to a measly 22.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting from the field.
Harden is starting to age, and there are some concerns about his playing style and how it fits with Brooklyn. Furthermore, with the reported questionable relationship between Harden and Kyrie Irving due to the latter being ineligible for all home games, The Beard playing in the City of Brotherly Love alongside Joel Embiid, could be a match made in heaven
Sixers-Nets James Harden Trade
Sixers get: James Harden
Nets receive: Ben Simmons, Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle
With six days remaining before the trade deadline, the league cannot doubt the ability of Morey to complete a trade in a short span of time. A Harden-Simmons straight-up swap would not materialize, but the 76ers could add a veteran presence in Danny Green for the deal to be completed. However, the Nets may want to demand young guys like Matisse Thybulle and Shake Milton to sweeten the deal.
The second offer would be a bit more realistic for both sides, especially with the Nets still having the trade exception from the Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan trades, respectively. Philadelphia cannot expect Brooklyn to settle with Green as the secondary piece in a Simmons deal, so they must be willing to let go of either Thybulle or Tyrese Maxey. However, the Sixers have stated they are not willing to part with Maxey, thus making Thybulle the only choice.
If this deal is indeed completed, the 76ers are going to be legitimate contenders to win the Eastern Conference this season. After all, the pairing of Harden and Embiid would run a plethora of unstoppable pick-and-rolls every game. This indicates Morey's willingness to not waste a MVP-caliber season from Embiid, especially with this questionable injuries in his lower extremities.
For the most part, Embiid has been healthy as Philadelphia is on a trajectory to have home court advantage for the playoffs for the first round at the very least. The Sixers defense could suffer without Thybulle, but they could still swing some low-key deals before the trade deadline by adding two wing defenders who could replace Thybulle in his vital role.
With the deadline fast approaching, the excitement has reached its peak with the Nets' sudden change of heart. Morey finally got his wish in conversing with the Brooklyn front office, but the execution is the only missing link for Philadelphia to form one of the best tandems in the association.
