Unpacking the Nets/Sixers Trade
Written by: Ben Handler | @KingChuddy
There were several big deals that were executed in the days leading up to the NBA trade deadline, so there was a sense that things may be a little quiet ahead of Thursday’s 3 PM eastern deadline, but this was not the case at all. We saw a flurry of action with nine total trades across the league, including an all-time blockbuster deal between east contenders and a rare four-team trade.
Surprisingly enough, our very own Boston Celtics were involved in three of the nine trades that occurred on deadline day, but I’ve already gone into extensive detail on those deals here: Celtics Deadline Recap.
But there was one deal that shined above all the rest and completely dominated the news cycle. The trade that has everyone buzzing and has the potential to shift the entire landscape of the NBA for years to come. Let’s take a closer look at one of the most grandiose deals in NBA trade deadline history:
NETS RECEIVE
Ben Simmons
Seth Curry
Andre Drummond
2022 First round pick (unprotected)
2027 First round pick (protected 1-8)
76ERS RECEIVE
James Harden
Paul Millsap
This potential trade has dominated the NBA rumor mill for the last few weeks leading up to the deadline. The reporting has been fascinating, as we’ve had reputable reporters making wildly different claims. We had heard that James Harden was “dying” to get out of Brooklyn, we heard that a deal was close but there were sticking points, and then we heard that the sides hadn’t even been in contact. It was hard to decipher what was real and what was not, but as it turns out there was too much smoke for there not to be a fire.
It’s hard to remember a situation this unique that played out like this one. It starts with Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played a game all season. After his pseudo meltdown in the playoffs last season it was very clear that a change was coming. Simmons felt betrayed by the team and GM Daryl Morey was very clearly shopping him around the league. Morey made it clear from the get-go that he was not going to trade Simmons unless the return was a true top 25 star caliber player in the league. This seemed a little ridiculous and likely a lot of posturing. How was Philadelphia going to sit idly by with their second best player not even joining the team? They were seemingly content to let things play out and waste an MVP caliber from Joel Embiid - and frankly, who knows how many of those we’ll get. It was an unprecedented stalemate for the ages, and Morey was determined not to blink, no matter how foolish that appeared.
Then everything changed at once when a report surfaced that James Harden wanted out of Brooklyn and wanted to reunite with his old GM, Daryl Morey, in Philadelphia. In as long as I have been following professional sports, I don’t think I can ever recall a player having the type of connection to the general manager. Now, obviously there were some other issues at play. Harden clearly wasn’t thrilled with the way things have played out in Brookly. Durant’s injury has exposed a lot of flaws and Kyrie Irving’s part-time status hasn’t made life any easier. There are a million articles and podcasts out there that will dive in MUCH deeper on all of the issues that led to this monumental break up, but I’m going to focus mostly on the basketball side of things.
The other fascinating part of this trade is that it is extremely rare to see two teams in the same conference, who are both competing for the title now, agree to a trade that leaves both teams feeling they are better off, especially when there is a very real possibility that these teams will meet in the playoffs down the road. In most in-season trades there is a clear “buyer” and “seller” and generally one team is motivated to get better in the moment, while the trade partner is motivated to get better in the future. This was the rare exception with both teams making a “win-now” move.
Starting on the 76ers side, the appeal is obvious. They added a former league MVP to pair with their current MVP contender. They now have two of the best players in the league, and the offense could reach historic heights with this duo. It’s hard to even consider Simmons a “loss” at this point, since he hasn’t been with the team all season. So in terms of what’s happening on the court, the Sixers basically lost Curry, an elite movement shooter who established incredible chemistry with Embiid, but they replaced him with one of the best offensive players to ever pick up a basketball. Harden immediately vaults the Sixers into true contender status and they finally have the firepower to win a title.
I hate to say it, but I have no choice but to give a ton of credit to Daryl Morey. For all the flack he received for the way he handled the Ben Simmons situation, he ended up with James Harden. People thought he was crazy for turning down deals for players like CJ McCollum or Damontas Sabonis, but in the end, Morey played it perfectly and got the best possible return - a return that was almost inconceivable a few months ago. Daryl has long believed that the key to winning is pairing two superstars. Harden has been his guy for years, dating back to their Houston days, and when it was all said and done Morey got his guy. Huge tip of the cap, as much as it pains me. It’s also kind of funny that Simmons’ actions and quitting on the team have ultimately led to the Sixers improving and upgrading the team. Would any of this ever have even been a consideration if Simmons just showed up to play this season? Probably not.
The potential downside for Philly is that it feels like this is the final chapter of “the process”. The mission that started many years ago with Sam Hinkie tearing down the Sixers with the hope of building a championship caliber team has finally come to fruition, and this feels like the final move. Embiid has reached an elite level, and can make a strong case to be the best player in the league. Now the rest of the chips have been pushed in to maximize a title window while Embiid is in his prime. Joel is 27 years old right now, and with his size and injury history, nobody is quite sure how long he can keep up this level, so there was definitely a sense of urgency for Philly to put the right supporting cast around him. James Harden certainly qualifies. But now it seems like this is it. If it doesn’t work out, the Sixers don’t really have any more punches to pull. They’ve got the team they want, but if it’s not enough, they may be out of options to maneuver. The team has finally put all of their chips on the table, so they better hope it works out..
The other risk involved is with Harden himself. He’s now in his 30s and has been good, but has definitely dipped from his MVP level that we have become used to over the past decade. Harden hasn’t played in a few weeks due to “hamstring tightness” and the last time he did play… let’s just say the effort was “lacking”. We’ve seen this version of Harden before (last year in Houston), so people assume this is how he acts when he quits on a team and as soon as he gets to Philly it’ll be the same old Harden that we are used to. But, at a certain point, he’s getting older, he’s not keeping his body in the best shape, so what if this is actually the start of a decline? That’s the biggest risk for Philly; that Harden is starting to decline and that decline may happen quickly unless he changes some of his habits. His game may not exactly age gracefully; let’s just say. This gets especially dicy because Harden’s next contract will likely be astronomical and would pay him as much as $62 million in his age 37 season. It’s pretty easy to envision a scenario where that contract ages like milk and the Sixers are back in the basement of the NBA, but if there is a world championship, then nobody will care what happens five years in the future. I’m sure every Philadelphia fan would happily accept some down years in the future for even a single championship in the meantime.
Now for the Brooklyn side of the equation. Their “big 3” will likely go down as one of the biggest what-if’s in NBA history. Since Durant, Irving, and Harden teamed up they only ever played in 16 total games. Five of them were the first round playoff series against the Celtics last year, when they appeared to be an unstoppable force on their way to a first, of what could be many, NBA titles. Between the injuries, the clash of personalities, the vaccination status saga, and whatever else was going on, this marriage just never quite worked out. We’ll never see what could have been…
But with Harden clearly wanting out, the Nets obviously felt they had to make a move before things got even worse and try to salvage what’s left of Kevin Durant’s prime.
The NBA may never see an offensive juggernaut the likes of that Brooklyn big three. But it’s fair to wonder if this new iteration of the team is actually better suited all around for a title run. Assuming Ben Simmons is ready to play basketball, he should slot in nicely as a pseudo point forward, who can keep the ball moving, get guys good open shots, cut to the basket, and provide a new element to a team that was somewhat redundant.
The Nets are just hoping that Simmons is motivated and ready to come in and help his new team relatively soon at a high level. Nobody has seen him play basketball in months, and it remains unclear how his mental health has been affected by the trade to Brooklyn. But, throwing all of that aside for a moment, let’s pretend that it’s just a matter of conditioning and Simmons will be ready to play for the team soon and return to his all-star form. If that is the case, he should provide the defensive versatility that the Nets have been sorely missing. For all of the talk about what Simmons can’t do offensively, we can’t ignore his defensive prowess. Ben is one of the truly elite defensive players in the league, with the size, speed, and strength to take on almost any matchup. He can stay with the quickest guards in the league, lock down the elite wing players - which should release a very heavy burden from Kevin Durant on that end - and in certain situations, Simmons has even shown an ability to bang with some centers. Even when the Nets big 3 was whole, the only question mark was the defense. They were able to get by with an other-worldly dominant offense, but the two way workload on Durant’s shoulders was clearly not sustainable. I’m not saying that’s the reason he is injured now, but it certainly wasn’t an ideal situation. Now the Nets have a true defensive anchor and it should allow KD to ease up, especially during the regular season.
The Nets apparently wanted Matisse Thybulle in the deal as well, but ultimately settled for Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first round picks. Drummond is far from a perfect player, but he can chew up valuable center minutes for this team, especially in the regular season. He’s a better big, bruising center than anyone they had on the roster. Curry has become one of the better role players in the NBA. His movement and elite shooting should be an immediate boon for this team, and a solid replacement for Joe Harris for the rest of this season. Between Curry and Patty Mills, the Nets should be able to have elite shooting and spacing on the court at all time around their two stars, Durant and Irving, and to neutralize the lack of shooting and spacing that Simmons “provides”.
Believe it or not, this may actually be as close to a “win-win” deal as there is in the NBA. Philly had a star who wasn’t even playing. Turning that into almost anything would’ve helped on the court. The fact that they turned it into James Harden is just incredible and has immediately vaulted Philly into true contender status. Meanwhile, it seems the Nets were basically headed for a similar situation with a star of their own. This trade helps diversify their roster, add versatility and depth, that may actually make this team better when it’s all said and done. The Nets may not be able to crawl back up to the top of the standings, but if they are healthy and clicking come playoff time, there is no team in the league that will want to face them in a series. For the sake of NBA fans everywhere, let’s hope we get a Brooklyn/Philadelphia playoff series. This has a chance to develop into the best rivalry in the league for the foreseeable future, and both teams have true and realistic title aspirations.
Ben Handler