In one of the most shocking moves in the NBA over the last several years, the Brooklyn Nets traded former league-MVP James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday after Harden played just a total of 80 regular season games with Brooklyn.
In addition to sending Harden to Philadelphia, the 76ers also received veteran forward Paul Millsap and they traded All-Star Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets.
One of the first-round picks is unprotected in 2022 and the other first-round pick is protected in 2027, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Nets will have the right to defer the 2022 unprotected first-round pick from Philadelphia until 2023 if they wish and the 2027 first-round pick from Philadelphia is Top-8 protected in 2027, Top-8 protected in 2028 and then converts to two second-round picks and $2 million in cash considerations should the pick no convey.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden To Opt In $47.3M Player Option After Sixers Trade
Last season, the Nets went “all-in” on winning a championship by trading for Harden and pairing him with All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Between injuries, Irving not being able to play home games due to vaccine mandates and the constant rotational changes made by head coach Steve Nash, multiple reports stated that James Harden grew frustrated with his situation in Brooklyn and wanted out.
According to Wojnarowski, Harden has secretly wanted to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, but he had “resisted making that formal request” due to fear of what the public backlash would be, especially after he was just traded to the Nets last season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden To Opt In $47.3M Player Option After Sixers Trade
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving were supposed to be one of the greatest trios ever assembled in NBA history, but now, last year’s big move by the Nets was all for not.
Trading James Harden may look like a big loss for the Brooklyn Nets, but they got exactly what they needed around Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to potentially win a championship this season. Harden never seemed to work out next to the Nets’ other two superstars, which is why this could ultimately turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Brooklyn.
