8:34pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Nets and Sixers. Nets general manager Sean Marks released this statement:
“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn. Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.
“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead.”
Sixers co-owner Josh Harris released the following statement in Philadelphia’s announcement:
“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion. We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”
12:18pm: The Nets and Sixers are finalizing a trade that will send James Harden to Philadelphia, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), Brooklyn will receive Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks, while the 76ers acquire Paul Millsap along with Harden.
Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the first-rounders headed to the Nets are the Sixers’ unprotected 2022 pick and a protected 2027 pick.
Brooklyn will have the right to defer this year’s pick to ’23, according to Wojnarowski, who says (via Twitter) the ’27 pick will be top-eight protected. If it doesn’t convey in 2027, it will be top-eight protected again in ’28. If it falls in its protected range twice, the Nets would instead get a 2028 second-rounder and cash.
Although a potential Harden/Simmons swap was first mentioned as a possibility back in the fall, it hadn’t been viewed as something that could realistically happen during the season until the last week or so.
With Kevin Durant injured and Kyrie Irving only partially available due to his vaccination status, the Nets have been in a tailspin, losing their last nine games. Harden had looked increasingly unhappy during Brooklyn’s slide and was said to be frustrated by Irving’s off-and-on availability.
Rumors began swirling that Harden was interested in reuniting with Daryl Morey in Philadelphia, culminating in a report this morning that said the former MVP wanted to be traded to the Sixers, but hadn’t made a formal request.
It still seemed like a long shot that the Nets and Sixers would find common ground before today’s trade deadline, but both sides were ultimately motivated to get something done. Brooklyn didn’t want to risk an unhappy Harden leaving for Philadelphia for nothing as a free agent in the offseason, while the Sixers wanted to resolve their standoff with Simmons and maximize their ability to contend for a title this season by acquiring a legitimate star to pair with MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, had maintained since Simmons first requested a trade last summer that the team wouldn’t give away the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in a deal that didn’t bring back an All-Star caliber player. He took plenty of heat for that stance as the Simmons drama extended through the offseason, into training camp, and then well into the regular season, but it ultimately paid off. A year after missing out on Harden when the Rockets sent him to Brooklyn, Morey finally got his man.
Harden can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by turning down his $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 and would be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth up to about $269MM with the Sixers, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Harden and Embiid will team up to lead a Sixers roster that still features Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, both of whom reportedly drew interest from the Nets during trade talks.
Philadelphia maintained through the process that Maxey was off the table, but Brooklyn pushed for Thybulle up until today. Shortly before the two teams reached a trade agreement, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported (via Twitter) that the inclusion of Thybulle was the last remaining sticking point. The Nets ultimately relented on that point.
Simmons’ value took a hit as a result of his poor showing in last season’s playoffs and his subsequent holdout, but the Nets are getting one of the NBA’s best play-makers and defenders, albeit one who still lacks a jump shot.
They’ll also add a sharpshooter in Curry who will fill in nicely for Joe Harris, whose status for the rest of the season remains up in the air due to an ankle injury. Both players on on multiyear deals, with Simmons not eligible for free agency until 2025, while Curry’s contract expires in 2023.
Additionally, the Nets found a new home for Millsap in the deal. The team had agreed last month to trade or waive the veteran forward, who wasn’t satisfied with his role in Brooklyn. The Nets will replace Millsap and bolster their frontcourt depth by adding Drummond, who is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
The Nets created $15MM in tax savings as a result of the move, Marks notes (via Twitter).
The Nets will take their time getting Simmons acclimated, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the former No. 1 overall pick welcomes the change of scenery.He has already spoken to Durant and they’re on the same page, Haynes adds.
Simmons, who said he wasn’t mentally ready to play for the Sixers this season, will continue to work with his therapist now that he has been traded, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. “It’s a work in progress,” a source told Shelburne.
While more deals will be made today, it’s safe to say none will be as impactful as this one, featuring two Eastern Conference rivals who hope to contend for a title this season. It will be fascinating to see how the Nets and Sixers look going forward.
Boom! Finally, let’s go!
Wait.. +2 first picks?
2022 unprotected and 2027 protected.
Assumption
If 2027 pick is top-6 protected, otherwise 2028 top-6 protected
Harden 4-year max is $227 million with Nets
Harden 4-year max is $200.1 million with 76ers
Trade grade
76ers B
Nets B
As a result, 76ers have no available first round pick for trade
I predict that Morey will trade away all the available first round pick when he was hired
You said that Ben Simmons would lose value if not traded in the summer and fall before the season started and they should trade him for CJ. This is a lot more value than that.
Huge first round pick
Nets will select 76ers 2023 unprotected first round pick
If Both Embiid and Harden were injured
#BenSimmonsisFree
Finally ElDon can stfu
He won’t. He’ll find some new idiotic cause, like #FreeAntoineWalker or something.
Walker and Spreewell should open up their own sports financial management company.
#OJisInnocent
#free PHEE PHI PHO OMICRON, oh and Jim Luscutoff tooooooo
@Jawn
He did talk though, he commented to me once or twice using real sentences.
@andy
Ben just jumped out the frying pan and into the fire. He thought Philly fans and media were tough? ….
@knicks
NY market will eat this dude up
Nice
Important stats but not all stats
Offensive impact
3 pt %
Wiggins 42%
Harden 33%
Oveall %
Wiggins 48%
Harden 41%
Defensive impact
Defensive FG% (the lower the better)
Wiggins 41.9%
Harden 46.4% below average
Irrelevant stats
They definitely don’t tell the entire story, but they certainly are NOT irrelevant.
Harden has looked really bad on both ends for the large part of this season. It isn’t all that difficult to believe he’s been outplayed by even the lowest All-Star on the totem pole…
Unless Harden finds his groove again, and actually tries to play defense, then this is a complete robbery by the Nets..
Good luck 76ers…Hopefully it all works out for them, but idk..
Morey for MVP
Kyrie is next !!!
Morey is telling the nba to SUCK IT. Didn’t give up maxey or thybulle
Remember all the people here who said they should trade Ben for CJ? Look at what the Blazers got for him and what we get for Simmons.
Yeah maintaining our young stars is a major W for the Sixers. Still a pretty significant haul for the Nets, both sides improved with this trade.
“Thybulle…young stars” LOL
Thybulle is a defensive star, but not a star. But he’s the exact type of player that gets the stars he plays with championships
Young Stars will be ruined by Harden!!!! In 10 months the Sixers will be a mess for a clubhouse and in the middle of a ten game losing streak.
But think of the strip club experience they’ll gain.
@stubby
what young players has Harden “ruined”? I’ll wait….
Your only “young star” is Maxey lol. Thybulle is not a star. Embiid isn’t young. Harden isn’t gonna bring you to the promised land. Good luck getting knocked out in the second round again lol.
Thybulle made an all-NBA defensive team as a bench player. He’s arguably the best defender in the league. You sound salty.
@Jawn
unless you’re pulling down 15 plus rebounds a game like Rodman or Wallace then you are not a star averaging 5pts a game.
Flashback….Ben Simmons shut down Trae Young in game 7 by limiting him to 5 of 13 shooting. However, Young hit his FTs scored a total of 21 points and all Simmons did was score 5 points, almost none in the 2nd half. You need to contribute offensively in the nb.
Harden is over the hill and they will need to pay him $250m!
@Michol
as of 3:58 pm Feb 10 Harden is averaging 23/10/8. He’s signed for $47 mil next year. If he’s playing as good in 2 years as he is now then maybe he’ll get a new max. But if he’s fallen off significantly then no one is giving him a max contract. periodT.
Well, I was wrong.
No Seth, why Seth
I think Drummond stings more than Steph.
Bassey’s a nice sleeper prospect,but they’re still gonna need some insurance there behind Embiid.
Would’ve been nice to keep Curry as an extra guard,but filling out 96 minutes at the 1 and 2 should be pretty easy with Harden,Maxey,and Thybulle,plus Milton,Joe,and Springer behind them.And adding Millsap to the forward mix could be nice.
WOW
Not sure who wins this. 76ers getting someone who has forced 2 trades in 2 seasons who has an unpredictable injury. Or Nets having the two most high profile issue players of the season? I have a feeling Nets may move Ben.
Not happening
Correct, because nobody wants him.
@JW91
Clearly Morey and Harden have chemistry. Im sure they’ve spoken thru back channels. I doubt Harden is going to demand a trade.
Nets got some good pieces and multiple picks, I’d say this favors the Nets more but I bet Harden is gonna put up numbers in philly
Not sure that this matters at all, but Nets now have three players with Aussie ties and a GM from New Zealand.
Great point. Bens probkems are all in his head. With patty mills there as a friend a mentor I think that helps so much
@skylark
They’re friends because they come from the same country?
How many championships did the Nets win with their Big 3? Lmao
definitely didn’t age well.
About as many as the Knicks have won!
That hurt. As a Knicks fan.
It hurt to type it, but softened by all the Nets hype producing nothing so far.
Lol how many games did they play on together is more interesting.
We need to think outside of box.
Nets trade Allen, LeVert and 6 first round picks for Simmons, Curry and 2 first round picks
Kings select Donte DiVincenzo at 2
Kings did not select Bagley.
Cavs fans are thinking of putting the Nets GM in their HOF.
Well definitely an overpay. 0 bench scoring or rebounding now. Harden will need to avg 30, 10, 10.
Morey is on fire TD is not over
@Philly
OMG…. you just got rid of a headache who was sucking up cap space, giving you nothing to contribute to the team and was a bad fit for a guy who answers most of the things Philly needed. Another scoring playmaker who can spread the floor, shot from outside, hit FTs and run the offense. He’s not a good defender but that can be minimized. You won!!! Assuming he’s healthy “enough”. oh and……
23/8/10. not too far off.
In the playoffs extra possessions matter a lot. Drummond grabs 24 boards per 100, best in the league. He isnt a starter but when he is in there he gives them extra possessions.
@philly
OMG…. thank you Mr. Fireman for saving my house from burning down. Most of the house is fine although….now I’ve got to deal with the water damage in the basement and replace my front door.
“Oh mi. porque yo dios”?
Maybe you haven’t watched him play this year. He is clearly in decline.
@john
28pts….10 assists…..8 rebounds. And trying to fit alongside another ball dominant guard. Embiid is much more complimentary to Harden than Irving was. Just worry about Harden for the next 2 years not 5.
Wow, the irony. Morey trying to overcharge for Simmons and now just overpaid for Harden. At least Simmons is no longer a 76er.
@UR
Did Morey reallllly overpay? The ’22 pick, as of today, would be around 15th overall. The ’27 is top 8 protected for 2 years and if not conveyed by then, turns into two 2nd round picks and cash. So if Sixers are good then the picks are not that good anyway (15-30). If they’re a bad team then likely they’ll be top 8 in draft and get to keep the picks. Seth and Drummond wil be missed but they’ll be able to manage and find someone once buyouts have taken place.
Seth being included stings only a little, but it’s worth it.
Trade Kyrie for Harris
This is too funny.
I hope it all works out for everyone…
Poor KD.
He signed his extension too soon…
He signed his extension too soon…
KD can carry the Nets by himself.
*Well at least he has Ben Simmons and half a Kyrie to help him.
KD left a dynasty to be the man with Kyrie. He now gets to be the man with Kyrie.
Nets won this trade! Morey is an over rated GM. I watched him do nothing but make playoffs and fall short in Houston for years .
Ah there you are Wally.
As a Nets’ fan, I’m not thrilled about this, especially since the Sixers held onto Thybulle and Maxey. I guess the Nets would have to waive someone for the extra roster spot.
Harden best attribute is scoring. The nets do not need any scoring. They need defense. Also a big man. They got both in this trade. Yes harden is better than Simmons but for what the nets need Simmons is a way better fit than harden
@Skylark
When Irving isn’t playing you bet the Nets are going to miss Harden. Ben is very limited offensively. And I could care less what he averaged during the regular season. We saw what happened last year.
Wake up Dolan
Brooklyn should of demanded Maxey
I think they did…, that’s why the trade didn’t happen until today at the last minute.
Maxey was untouchable in the deal. The holdup was Thybulle. Brooklyn was asking for him and the Sixers would not budge.
I think it’s a fine deal for both teams.
Is he sleeping? imo, that’s a good thing.
Two first rounders AND their best shooter? Yikes. I’m not sure this is a net benefit for Sixers. Love love love this for Nets. They now have all kinds of ammo to make another deal.
If you think Harden is bad at defense, then please watch curry. He is a solid shooter no doubt, but keeping their young assets was huge for philly. Even if it doesn’t work this year, that’s still a ton of offseason ammo if needed.
It’s a first rounder this year which will be late 20s at best and a protected one in 2027 so it’s not really anything valuable. Enjoy when Ben and Kyrie cause drama and both refuse to play.
The first rounders are crappy picks. Future Backups at best.
Rockets should’ve just done this kind of trade last season…
Why? The Rockets deal is much better than this one for where their organization was/is.
Good for you Mr. Brian “Three Scoops of insider information” Windhurst. He stayed adamant about his sources and proved he knows what’s up.
And give Morey props for sticking to his demands.
And Woj went hard saying Windy was wrong. He looks bad coming out of this.
How about Steve Nash? “We’re not trading Harden at the deadline.”
Nash was just giving the company line. He probably knew it was BS.
Windhorst ate his lunch, probably literally
this sucks
Awww don’t worry…maybe delonte will become available!
Smear daraisin would look great in a Nets uniform but I don’t think Bulls will trade him. Though now they have Simmons Bulls could use the D. Put one of the picks in there too…could be interesting
Okay he better not be done. They need a back-up center. Idk how you’re replacing that rebounding on the bench. 24 per 100 possessions, leads the league. They actually gave up quite a bit here. I can live with including Seth, but including Drummond was a mistake.
There’s no one available via trade or BO that will replace that production.
Can probably find a shooter somewhere to add bench scoring, but no one for rebounding to back-up Embiid unless they call up the Lakers.
Richard Holmes, Nurk, Poetl, Boucher
In the Sixers price range. You have to match. Can’t trade the entire bench for one dude.
De Andre Jordan fits into the trade exception. And Lakers might pay to get rid of him …
Backup center? Would you be interested Taj, Noel, and Mitchell Robinson? You can have all three.
Mitchell Robinson would fit into the trade exception so could be an interesting signing.
Noel is too expensive. Sixers don’t have anything of value to offer for Mitchell. Taj is borderline too expensive. DJ would work, I’d send Milsap for DJ.
Just send the plane with enough fuel to get back
Totally ripped off the nets although I dont like including Andre. Kudos to morey for holding onto his top perimeter defender Matisse.
Lol nah getting Seth and Simmons is great, you’re getting two starters back.
Curry my friend is not a starting player in this league. It will be nice to see harden hitting his charity stripe shots. Bwa bwaaaaaaa bwaaaaaaa
@oh
Curry has started 102 of 102 games the last two years and has done quite well averaging 14 pts on 47/42/89 shooting. He is, by definition, a starter in the NBA
What a Fing joke
Harden better come to play. if he does the rest should be history.
is ben miraculously gonna play now?
No more mental illness, it’s a miracle. He may try to bottle and sell this cure to recoup fines.
I was about to comment that we found a cure for mental illness!
What an idiotic comment. It’s 2022 how you can still be so ignorant? I’m sure your buddies think you’re hilarious…
They do. I’m sure your imaginary buddies think you’re a swell guy too.
So you expect me to care what a guy from Philly who doesn’t understand mental illness in 2022 thinks? Bwahahah, enjoy Harden’s missing jump shot come the playoffs. You deserve each other.
You cared enough to comment. By your logic… You’ve just lost this battle of wits Hoss. Better luck next time.
What’s ignorant about it? Simmons claim of ‘mental illness’ is a complete joke and detrimental to any player out there who actually suffers from mental illness. The only reason he claimed it is that he could sit out and still get paid.
You can have your wits if it means I get to keep the reason.
There is no evidence that Simmons is faking it but there is evidence that assuming people are faking mental health issues has no upside. Why does everyone in this stupid country think they’re smarter than scientists and facts? I could even be wrong about Simmons faking and you’d still not be right.
You lost me at “everyone in this stupid country.” Goodbye.
@dejota
I bet his men talk health got considerably better right around 3pm. show me ANY tests that will prove he had real mental issues preventing him from performing? that’s the problem. this can reallllly mess up the Nets for real if he can’t handle NY pressure.
@ dejota ;
Why do you think all scientists think one way?
And why do you think all facts that impress you are the only facts out there?
It finally f**king happened
Kyrie and Simmons both on the same team. This is going to be fascinating watching these two head cases feed off each other
I don’t know what’s more baffling. The 76ers actually having to give 2 1sts with a cry baby for an overpaid expiring contract who thinks he’s still a super star or the fact that Harden and his expiring contract actually warrant the return. Absolute head scratcher.
Don’t mind about who win the trade it’s a lot of fun with a new rivalry
When it comes to the post season Simmons and Harden shoot the same…
Thats 3 terrible takes in a row for you buddy. Put the whisky down!
brooklyn made out
Hope 76ers got a guarantee from Harden that he’s going to stick around after the year and not opt out
Right, interesting how all these comments over the past 6 months were about how Simmons should honor his contract blah Blah Blah. Now they don’t seem to have an issue with Harden. Explain yourselves. What’s the difference?
Something very shady about Morey and Harden. It’s almost like they had an understanding that they were going to do this all along …. and maybe Morey provoked and uaed Simmons all along. As for Harden, how shady it is to demand a trade to your own conference rival in midseason??? This is a SLAP in the face at KD and Nets.
So Ben Simmons got exactly what he wanted.
I know Philly Fan is happy so I wont get into the facts about Harden and the playoffs or how much money he will be paid at age 33.
But I wonder where all the Sixer fans are who wanted to prove a point and show Ben Simmons that he cannot hold out and get what he wants.
You just sent Ben Simmons to the Nets to play with KD and Kyrie in a bigger market where his agents will make him more money. He will be treated well by the Nets fans and so what point did you make?
Oh yeah, none whatsoever, so Morey was just posturing to get his guy.
Klutch are very good agents. They now have a guy playing with KD and is now in the biggest market in the NBA.
Treated well by the Nets fans…..
Harden likely declines and signs a huge deal this offseason. Not that that’s smart by the Sixers, but they’ll do it of course.
By making this trade both Ben and Morey got what they wanted. However, it cost one of them $17+ million. Congrats to Ben, I guess?
Yeah there is no money to be made living in NYC.
Klutch got Simmons out of Philly and he did not go to Sactown or Portland. They did an outstanding job and that is the funny part.
Lebrons guys did exactly what they promised and their client is in a much better situation than before.
Arbitration?? Might want to hold that $$ amount until Ben files for Arbitration. Something tells me his hit will be under $10 million. Which I would gladly pay to get the eff out of the hell hole that is Philly.
Ben probably already bought a Penthouse in NYC. Dude will be living the vida loca.
Dont hate Ben because it all worked out. Hell he might even with a championship this year.
“hellhole” lmao
@cf
You don’t know NY fans or media. he’s going to have to have a super performance quickly to survive. the media is going to be tough and he better NOT shy away from them, good news or bad.
Nets made out. Play maker, defense, shooting, rebounding, size, and picks. Sixers are about now, but gave assets which could’ve been used to unload Harris. If Harden and Embiid gone and or suffer injuries or deteriorate by the time that ’27 pick comes up, could be a steal, which is what I’m betting. Thankfully its top 8 protected.
Nets win this trade. Thybulle still has no offence and Maxi is one crazy drive from a season injury. Philly giving up vets and front court depth needed for playoffs. Millsap was a buyout after the deadline. Yes they get Harden, but now BK has a center and another vet shooter. Now it’s time for Ben to prove the doubters wrong. This will be interesting.
Nets got worse on Offense, better on D obviously but the impact is not yet clear. A motivated Harden paired with MVP Embiid makes Philly second favorite to come out of the East.
Bwaaaaaaa bwaaaaaaa bwaaaaaaa
This is going to make for one hell of a potential ECF!
Yep! can’t wait to see the Bucks beat the Heat in 7!
Bottom line, Harden is over the hill and Sixers will be stuvk with $250m contract!
No horse in this race but I feel strongly that the Nets won this trade.
I don’t get why you congrat Morey for sticking to his demands, when he’s giving draft picks and 2 servicable players instead of getting any draft pick like he was asking
The nets traded the wrong superstar guard.
True, but do you really think Philly wants Kyrie?
Honestly, I’m appalled that they would actually want Harden, but at least it gets them out of the Simmons jam. The Nets were the clear winner of this trade, especially with the future firsts.
I’m glad for his sake that Ben’s out of Philly, but he’s still not an asset in the playoffs unless he has developed a jumper
Everyone saying this was a good trade for sixers has zero basketball iq or knowledge.. #1 Harden has significant hamstring issues, if you ever dealt with that type of injury u know they nag you for life.#2 Simmons will not have to be a #1or #2 option anymore. He won’t be asked to do the things he feels uncomfortable doing meaning he will be able to excel at the things he’s good at.. ball distribution and defense.. curry next to kd and kyrie will be great with all that space.. Drummond coming in off bench will also be a huge bonus… Sixers lost this trade 5 years ago this trade would have been even deal now Harden while he may still put up decent #s is half the guy he used to be…picks don’t mean much unless more moves coming for nets…
Won’t be asked to do the things he’s uncomfortable doing? Like have the stones to drive the lane and make free throws?
So many philly haters. Before trade, no chance you get harden for Simmons….Maxey and/or thybulle have to be included and multiple firsts. Best bet is Hield and bagley and some picks. Or some other haters saying Westbrook or some other garbage. Now the Sixers got the star they were holding out for but they got fleeced because they gave up their backup center and a 3 point specialist who can’t play defense and also harden stinks. What? Morey from the get go said Beal/harden/lillard, not one person said anything bad about harden and said Simmons ain’t worth any of those guys. But now Simmons is a great player and the missing piece for the Nets? Which way is it…CLAP YOUR HANDS EVERYBODY, FOR PHILADELPHIA 76ers!!!!!
Nets won this trade, but also, Nets lost.
Nets brought in an injured KD with the hopes that he and Kyrie + all the assets they had would compete from 2020-2022.
They then push all their assets in for Harden, but don’t win last year. With 50% of Kyrie and integrating Simmons (for next few weeks without KD), they likely don’t win this year.
They salvage the Harden situation which had been going sour fast. But without Kyrie locked up, KD turning 34 next year and getting increasingly nicked up, it doesn’t feel like they’re in a great spot for next year either. This whole experience has been one big swing and a miss.
Getting KD is a swing and a miss? Well that’s interesting.
Also keep in mind irving will be able to play in ALL playoff games home and away. The governor of my just ended the vaccine requirement. Now the mayor most likely will follow her lead and do the same. The gov of NYS is much more liberal than the mayor of NYC so if she took away the mandate mayor adams is not far behind. Mayor adams is really a republican, has been most of his life, he hates this mandate but couldn’t do anything or else he would anger the NYS political community. Now that gov hochul has lifted the mandate mayor adams will as well. Nets r now huge title favorites
Anyone who thinks Brooklyn made out is blind. Simmons who is refusing to play for the 76ers. 31 year old Curry who’s okay, and Andre Drummond who really can’t play. Centers are a dime a dozen of Drummonds caliber.
It’s a fair trade all things considering. I think Philly slightly wins because this is the best Embiid will ever be.
Am I the only one that think Philly including 2 1st rounders in the deal as well was borderline insane? For a player that is still good but not too superstar of a couple years ago and will have to be given a full max contact of 5 years at beginning of 33 years of age next year? My biggest thing is once he signs that deal his motivation to be best player he can be will be gone as well..Gave subpar effort to force himself out of Houston and just Did the same thing this year to Leave the nets… and you expect him to give his all later in his years after he signs that contract?? Also his conditioning had been questioned going into seasons before I his as well… I will take the Nets part of this day everyday and a month of Sundays on top of it over what Philadelphia got and what it will cost them in salary and draft choices.. I’m not a basketball expert but Geez… yikes
the later pick is protected and the first pick should be late 20s.
B-TTHOLE TRADE GRADES
Brooklyn: D-
This could work. But it’s high risk. It also puts Brooklyn at a real risk of missing the playoffs this year. Kyrie can’t play – what are Simmons and Curry doing for you in a surprisingly loaded East? This is basically tossing another year of KD in the trash.
Philadelphia: A
A PROTECTED future 1st round pick??? An unprotected pick that will be in the 20s. No Maxey. No Thybulle. Is Drummond included here as a an extra F U? Seriously, this is way, WAY lighter than I’d thought they’d get off (we have no idea how Simmons will be after this hiatus) – especially given that they’re getting Harden *this* season. Credit where credit is due – Morey won. Triumphantly.
Told y’all that Maxey nor Thybulle had to be included. I noticed a certain know it all that knows nothing who kept claiming Maxey needed to be in it isn’t here. Strange considering he’s on every article
Next up Harris for another Big Guy
Good thing BKN doesn’t have a lot of fans, because this deal is a betrayal of them. I don’t really fault Marks, he wasn’t crazy about Harden in the first place, and the timeline suggests he wanted no part of this trade. This is on ownership, which let being screwed over by the players be an excuse for screwing over his fanbase.
The pieces coming back really don’t matter much (they got enough basketball-wise). I’m sure Marks, who’s very good, can build a good team from them. But any championship window with Durant is now closed. Given away in a conference room.
The biggest winner in this deal is HOU, who’s decision (idiotic at the time) to take only picks for Harden can now be seen as prescient.
This deal also opens up a parallel possibility: How long until Durant is requesting out? Hard to believe he’s not thinking about his next move at the moment
Because I tend to agree with you that the championship window here might be closed. Unless BK is getting the Platonic Ideal of Simmons I’m not sure they have enough.
Especially now that they actually have to worry about Philadelphia – who can tout a Maxey-Harden-Thybulle-Tobias-Embiid lineup that very well might be the most imposing 5 man unit in the league?
I think KD (signed) and KI (opt in) will likely play next season, to not just follow Harden and appear to give Simmons a chance. Then they’ll both be gone (but Marks can get something for Durant if he’s healthy). The team as such will be OK. But I could also see Tsai losing interest and eventually selling. Even the team being relocated. This franchise needed some rebranding in BKN, and they were doing it. Lose? Tough, but OK. Surrender? No. As you indicated, BKN may have built a championship team – but for PHI. Basketball merits beyond that don’t really matter (Net fans are not even hard core basketball people). But, yeah, they can’t even claim they held out and put some pain on PHI.
Just my thoughts. I’m really interested to see what happens. Hope it turns out better than I fear. I’m a Knick fan that likes having the Nets around, as they provide some extra Knick home games.
Totally agree. There’s just no way I would have capitulated at the TDE and not made Morey sweat it out til summer.
The idea of them dumping Tobias was a decent bluff but everyone knew it was in everyone’s interest for this to be a trade not an outright signing.
Durant to Miami?
The crybaby for the overrated.
Wow philly got robbed for a guy leaving the nets in a couple of months for free crazy he would have went to Philly in the summer
Isn’t this the perfect place for someone with mental issues?
What a deadline! The Nets are gonna have to waive a guy to complete this trade.
WOW WHAT!!! didn’t see this coming I I was totally wrong. Nets are still contenders I just thought they were going to get nothing for Harden. This is great value.
Unless Harden suddenly turns into LeBron James the 76ers got fleeced. I guess they want to start the process 2.0.
Are Simmons issues going to get better all of a sudden now that he’s traded? If that’s the case the dude should be ashamed.
Steep price for Harden. Philly really wanted to make it happen. Loosing Seth though, Nets winners on this one big time. Welcome back Ben! Wish you well.
You know who it’s a good trade for by which team draws the most haters. Congrats 76ers! The comments proved you nailed it. Lol
This trade looks overrated. Harden is like Westbrook in that they try to play the hero (aka ball hog) in the playoffs at the worst possible time and screw their team over. It has happened every time. Why do the Sixers think this time will be any different? As for the Nets, Simmons can’t shoot. Honestly, I don’t see either of these teams in the NBA Finals. Bucks, Heat, and Cavs look like more stable teams with better chemistry.
Come on dude, CLE are you for real?
Yeah they are a good team, but this year they have as much possibilities of the NBA finals as ORL as a matter of fact, in the coming years might very well be, but not this year!
Will Ben Simmons even play for the Nets? Did he just not want to play in Philly – or anywhere?
I’m not sure why there is so much talk about these being bad trades…. Both teams walk away better with these. Both teams were in awful situations. Now they both got what they really needed.
When Harden wants to play, he can put up some numbers, even this year he had a phenomenal stretch of games. Simmons is going to be able to do what he does best, defend and distribute, with KD and Kyrie scoring 70 points a night.
I feel bad for Joel Embiid. I hope he took a long look at the basketball in his last game; he might never see it again…