A year ago, the Houston Rockets were set to trade James Harden, they were down to 2 teams, the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, they sent Harden to Brooklyn. Today, the Nets shifted course and sent Harden to the Sixers… heh? How and why did this trade come together?
What is the trade? The Nets send James Harden and Paul Milsap to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and 2 first round picks. Okay, this is a game changer for both sides, yes they both get better, yes both now have a better chance to win the East. Let’s start with the Philly side. Harden is awesome, a top 15 player in the sport, and is a massive upgrade for the Sixers. A pick and roll or a pick and pop with Harden and Joel Embiid is unstoppable, you do not guard that. However, does Embiid want to set screens and role to the basket? He likes catching the ball and making plays, it is the reason he is a leading candidate for MVP. There are of course questions when it comes to this trade, but it is a deal Philly had to make. Ben Simmons was not playing and was not going to play and James Harden is one of the best players in the NBA.
For Brooklyn, also a home run. James Harden was gone, either now and likely at season’s end. Ben Simmons could take some time to get back on the court but he should be back at the latest after the All-Star break. I wish they had done something else as well, maybe packaging Nic Claxton and one of the Philly picks but other than that I love it. A lineup of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Joe Harris is incredible. Harris may not play this season and who knows what is up with Kyrie but they needed to do this. Ben Simmons is an incredible defensive player, he is great in transition, he is an elite rebounder, in a half court offense the Nets can put him in the dunkers spot and hide him. Curry is an elite shooter, Andre Drummond can give them good center minutes and recouping some of the picks they lost in the first Harden trade is a good move.
Overall, I think that both teams got better. It was a trade that needed to happen, it was a trade that happened, and I am excited to see the results of the future of the entire Eastern Conference. 2 extra notes, the rest of the deadline blog will come out this weekend and the Nets play at the Sixers on March 10th.
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