With James Harden reportedly looking for a way out of the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers have been identified as a potential landing spot for the former league MVP. There have been whispers of a potential blockbuster deal involving Ben Simmons going in the opposite direction, but as it turns out, the Sixers are not having it.
NBA insider Shams Charania had this to say about the rumor in a recent appearance on NBA Gametime (h/t Hoop Central):
Philly is currently NOT inclined to include Ben Simmons in trade talks for James Harden.
Harden has cornerstone superstar status, and pairing him with Joel Embiid in Philly would result in one of the best one-two punches in an NBA loaded with superstar tandems. Nevertheless, the Sixers do not appear to be interested in the same, and if ever, might be more inclined to building a Big 3 of Embiid, Simmons, and Harden. Whether or not they have enough assets to pull off this deal with the Rockets remains to be seen, and will likely depend on Houston's willingness to take on Tobias Harris and/or Al Horford.
Despite the alleged deadlock, it would be premature to call the potential Harden-to-Philadelphia move dead at this point. However, the Sixers' unwillingness to part ways with Simmons leaves them at a huge disadvantage. More than a few teams out there should be willing to give up their major assets in order to trade for Harden, so if Philly decide to play hard ball, then the Rockets might end up moving on to other suitors.
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