The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers may have some business to tend to ahead of the NBA trade deadline and it may involve former league MVP James Harden.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, James Harden wants to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers but has ‘resisted’ making a formal request due to the potential
“Although Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden wants a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, he has resisted making that formal request out of fear of the public backlash that would come with asking out of a second franchise in consecutive seasons, sources told ESPN.” Wojnarowski wrote.
The Nets made a massive investment when it came to acquiring Harden in the trade from the Houston Rockets—exhausting their cache of future first-round picks. Brooklyn would need to land a genuinely enticing trade package in order to part with Harden, especially to send him within the Eastern Conference.
Ben Simmons would be the clear centerpiece of a potential trade that would send Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Shams Charania of The Athletic recently reported that role players such as Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, and Matisse Thybulle are considered options to ‘sweeten’ a potential trade package. Can Brooklyn ask for much more than Simmons if it’s clear Harden wants to land in Philadelphia?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Teams Sound Really Worried About James Harden Going To Sixers
While the Nets are not necessarily looking to make a move involving Harden just for the sake of a deal, they reportedly are open to a deal if it can help better balance out their roster around Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, both sides have yet to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ about a deal, yet.
“Harden is hopeful that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey secures a trade for him prior to Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, but Morey and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to become engaged in serious dialogue on a deal, sources said.”
The Brooklyn Nets have been sinking as of late, and fast. They have lost nine consecutive games as Kevin Durant remains sidelined. There’s been growing doubts about the fit with James Harden and the rest of the team given the half-court offense operates much differently when he is on the floor versus when he is off. Is it time to do a deal for Ben Simmons?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Teams Sound Really Worried About James Harden Going To Sixers
The ties that James Harden shares with a variety of key members of the Philadelphia 76ers organization has raised attention to them being a potential landing spot for the former MVP in the near future. If a move isn’t made at the NBA trade deadline, it appears the Brooklyn Nets run the risk of losing him for minimal value.
