There are certainly parallels between the situations the Philadelphia 76ers have found themselves in when it comes to dealing with trade requests from star point guards. Back in 2021, Ben Simmons memorably wanted out of Philadelphia after a tumultuous playoff run left him feeling like he wasn't valued at all by the Sixers franchise. And now, two years later, history repeated itself, with James Harden — the main piece the team received for Ben Simmons — putting pressure on the team as he looks for a move to the Los Angeles Clippers. Both are also left-handed for good measure.

While on the surface, the two situations appear rather similar, one major difference sets the two trade sagas apart for the Sixers. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, not too many teams are interested in Harden, contrary to the interest Simmons drew two years ago.

“The difference between the Harden situation and the Ben Simmons' situation a couple of years ago is there were a lot of possible deals out there for Ben Simmons. […] Teams in both conferences had interest in Ben Simmons,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Today with Malika Andrews and Zach Lowe. “This is different. There's not widespread interest in James Harden.”

Related Brooklyn Nets NewsArticle continues below
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots a free throw during the first quarter at Amway Center.
76ers star Joel Embiid’s foul-baiting confession revealed by rookie
Ace Bailey in a 76ers uniform, a Spurs uniform, and a Hornets uniform
Ranking 3 best Ace Bailey destinations in 2025 NBA Draft

Given how prickly James Harden has seemed to be in recent years, seeing him draw little to no interest on the trade market shouldn't be too surprising, even though he's still a threat to put up 20 and 10 on a nightly basis. A lot of pundits and even former coaches have spoken up about how difficult being around Harden is, and how teams, such as the Sixers, tend to walk on eggshells around The Beard.

There's also the issue of the contract situation; Ben Simmons had multiple years on his deal back in 2021 (and he still does to this point), making him an even more attractive trade asset even if his 2021 playoff performance was concerning. Meanwhile, Harden's contract is expiring, and given his track record, he's a risk to bolt in free agency if things don't go the way he plans.

At the end of the day, it seems like this stalemate would result an eventual move to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden — it's only a matter of when, not if, if these rumors persist.