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The Philadelphia Sixers had by far the busiest trade deadline of any team in the NBA. It's impossible to deny that getting James Harden in the blockbuster trade to get rid of Ben Simmons was one of the most significant trades in recent NBA history.
Despite not having their second or third best player, Ben Simmons, for the whole season due to his refusal to participate, Philadelphia has been a tremendous basketball team this season. And it might be better for the Sixers if he didn't play since he doesn't provide anything other than defense, but even his defense doesn't make up for the headaches he brings.
Getting rid of Ben Simmons was definitely the most important thing Philadelphia needed to accomplish around the trade deadline. There's no arguing that he's been the team's biggest problem for the previous several seasons, so finally getting rid of him is the Sixers' biggest triumph. Because they were able to get away from him, it's difficult to claim they made any huge blunders, but there are still some doubts about James Harden and the Sixers' ability to win it all.
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The front office made a tremendous move by bringing in James Harden, since a duo of him and Joel Embiid will be almost unstoppable for the Sixers if they play the way that everyone knows they can. James Harden hasn't looked great this season, but a lot of it might be because of him not wanting to be in Brooklyn any longer, and the Sixers are hoping that once he puts on the Sixers jersey, he will go back to his former ways.
The Sixers were fortunate in not having to part with Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle. These are two young Sixers guys that will be fantastic players in the not-too-distant future, so keeping both of them is a victory in and of itself.
The Philadelphia 76ers chose to trade Andre Drummond and Seth Curry to the Brooklyn Nets in the transaction. Both of these players were key contributors for the Sixers this season, and they are two players that will be missed. Despite how good James Harden may be, Andre Drummond was an important player for the Sixers because he allowed them to play him for fewer minutes each night while Embiid can sit since he is more than capable at the backup center position. Despite not shooting as effectively as he has in the past, Seth Curry was still a reliable three-point shooter for the Sixers. He's one of the top catch-and-shoot shooters in the NBA, so losing him won't help the offense.
Philadelphia took a chance by trading crucial supporting players, but they did bring back the star player that you absolutely need to win an NBA championship. They believed that the star player was more vital than two significant role players, and there's no doubting that they made the right decision.
The greatest concern in Philadelphia right now is whether or not they can maintain both of those players healthy. Unfortunately for James Harden, he has a history of injuries over the last year and a half, and the Sixers will do all they can to stop it from happening again. As everyone knows, Joel Embiid has been injured several times during his career, and it seems like every year he gets hurt when it means the most. It's terrible, considering how good of a player he is, but the truth is that he is prone to injuries.
If any of these players are injured, the Sixers' chances of winning an NBA championship are little to none. There's no other way to phrase it than that they would be devastated, but it isn't the most pressing concern if they can simply keep them healthy. Keeping them healthy is easier said than done, so the Philadelphia coaching staff will have to keep a close eye on both of these players' minutes to ensure that they are ready for the playoffs.
It's difficult to determine whether the Sixers made any missteps during the deadline this year. Naturally, there will be questions about James Harden and how he will complement Joel Embiid, but if they can both put their egos aside, they should be OK. This was a deal that Philadelphia had to do because they are a team with championship ambitions, and whenever you can get a top player back like Harden, you have to give up anything to get him.
The most important thing for Philadelphia to focus on for the rest of the season is ensuring that these players can put their egos aside and simply play basketball. If they can accomplish that while staying healthy, Philadelphia has a strong chance of finding the postseason success they've been searching for the previous several seasons.
