On Thursday, one of the most blockbuster trades in the NBA occurred hours before the NBA Trade Deadline ended at 3 p.m. Eastern Time Zone.
At approximately 12:16 pm, ESPN Senior Insider Adrain Wojnarowski announced that the Brooklyn Nets were trading disgruntled superstar shooting guard James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for former 6 foot 11 point guard #1 overall pick Ben Simmons.
The trade comes when both contenders are attempting to make a deep playoff run. The 76ers are currently the 5th seed in the Eastern as Nets sit at the 8th seed on a nine-game losing slump, as their talented lineup doesn’t reflect their slump.
Analyzing the blockbuster trade, I think the trade makes sense for both teams. Ben Simmons has dealt with psychological distress in Philadelphia after his lackluster play of last season that led to him refusing to play for Philly again.
On the other hand, James Harden expressed his frustration in Brooklyn after the superteam’s struggles due to injuries and Kyrie Irving’s being a part-time player due to refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and New York City mandate on athletes.
Though both teams got better by ridding their franchises of disgruntled stars, the Nets received the better end of the trade in the long run.
First, the Brooklyn Nets got better by acquiring the added depth that it lost from James Harden and losing role players such as Jarrett Allen and Caris Lavert last season.
Second, the Nets gained a sniper in Curry’s little brother Seth Curry, who is shooting 40% from three on 5.6 attempts a game.
Next, the Nets got stronger on defense with Simmons, who can guard anyone on the floor, helping the Nets scorers get to rest on the defensive end.
Lastly, they acquired a rim protector in Andre Drummond controlling the glass. On the other hand, the one-two punch in Philadelphia with a pick & roll offense run by Harden and All-Star Center Joel Embiid spells trouble for any defense with Embiid’s impeccable footwork and floor spacing ability combined with Harden’s mean stepback and dish off ability in the lane.
But there are concerns about both stars in the trade. Is Ben Simmons mentally tough now?
Being mentally strong doesn’t come overnight, and essentially Simmons has moved into a larger basketball market than Philly, which he couldn’t seem to shake the fans’ boos at Wells Fargo Center.
I love the trade for the Sixers in the short term, but this is Harden’s third team in a year, which is quite concerning, barring how he’s left his last two teams. Could Harden shut down again if he gets disgruntled?
When Harden landed in Brooklyn, the idea was championship or bust with the Nets’ superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
However, time is a pressing issue for Harden, who is aging fast at 32 years old still chasing his first ring. In Philadelphia, it is “championship or bust” with current MVP favorite Embiid.
Full Details of the Trade Include:
Philadelphia Receive:
James Harden
Paul Milsaps
Brooklyn Receives:
Ben Simmons
Seth Curry
Andre Drummond
2022 First Round Pick
The former MVP James Harden averages 22.5 points, eight rebounds and 10.2 assists this season. Ben Simmons hasn’t played since June 20, 2021, in the Sixers game seven playoffs loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
