Reports surfaced on Thursday that the Philadelphia 76ers are engaged in talks with the Detroit Pistons over a potential Ben Simmons deal involving Jerami Grant. Nevertheless, it is also being reported that the Sixers are also considering keeping Simmons in Philly despite what has been nothing short of a tumultuous standoff between the two sides, with the goal of getting a much larger fish in the offseason.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Nets superstar James Harden is still very much in the picture for the Sixers. Daryl Morey, who worked with Harden during their time together in Houston, is still keen on bringing the former MVP to Philly as part of a Simmons trade:

Several members of the front office are keen on the idea of keeping Simmons this season and pursuing Harden from the Brooklyn Nets for a sign and trade, according to multiple sources.

All signs are pointing to the fact that right now, James Harden is happy in Brooklyn. However, the fact that he refused to sign an extension before this year's deadline means that he could very well decide to leave the Nets in the summer as a free agent. Harden has a player option for the 2022-23 campaign, so if he so chooses, he could actually walk away from the Nets after this season.

This is exactly what Morey and the Sixers are hoping for right now. If they keep Simmons and Harden ultimately wants out, perhaps Philly and Brooklyn could work something out involving the two players. Morey initially tried to get Harden from the Houston Rockets, but he wasn't able to pull off the deal.

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Even if Philly trades Simmons this season, we can't rule out Morey still trying for Harden anyway in a different sign-and-trade. Tobias Harris has a big contract and could potentially be used in an attempt to get Harden, but that obviously would be much tougher to pull off given the other suitors that would be involved. Every other team in the NBA would likely be willing to submit their entry to a potential James Harden sweepstakes simply because he's the type of player who could boost any side's championship aspirations.

Editor's note: This story initially said the Sixers could try to keep Ben Simmons and then acquire James Harden in the offseason to form a Joel Embiid/James Harden/Ben Simmons Big Three. This was an incorrect interpretation of Keith Pompey's reporting, and the story has now been corrected to better reflect that reporting. We regret the error.