Sixers Trade Ben Simmons For James Harden At NBA Trade Deadline: Reports

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia has finally come to an end with an NBA trade deadline blockbuster, as the team has sent him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden, according to ESPN and multiple other sources.

Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first round draft picks are also heading to the Nets, sources state. The Sixers will also receive Paul Millsap.

The deal immediately repositions the Sixers as a somewhat top-heavy offensive powerhouse. Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champ and the 2017-18 MVP, remains one of the league's premier offensive forces.

What Harden doesn't bring, and what the Sixers lose with Simmons' departure, is someone with a commanding presence on the defensive side of the ball. Aside from putting up Magic Johnson-like triple-double performances in the first few years of his career, Simmons made a difference in ways that didn't always show up on the stat sheet: close coverage, forced turnovers, and running an offense as a 6 foot, 10 inch tall point guard.

The Sixers did manage to stay relatively young in their depth, however. Key former first Rond picks Tyrese Maxey and Mathisse Thybulle were both in high demand and were not traded.

Rumors connecting the Sixers to Harden intensified on Thursday, raising hopes for some fans that the months-long stalemate between the Sixers and their beleaguered All-Star was coming to a close. It comes just a year after Simmons for Harden rumors circulated when Harden wanted out of Houston. It was the Nets that ultimately grabbed him, but just a year later, Harden was again unhappy with his surroundings in Brooklyn.

Simmons, of course, wasn't happy either. He has not played for the Sixers once in the 2021-22 season, but the team has stayed right in the hunt at the top of the east without Simmons. They're 32-22, just 2.5 games back of the Heat for the conference lead.

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The Sixers and Nets have not yet had formal talks on a deal, but they are widely expected to speak before Thursday's deadline, according to ESPN.

Harden is unhappy in Brooklyn and wants to come to Philadelphia, but has hesitated to request a trade outright due to a fear of public backlash, the report states.

Harden is perhaps right to be weary of what the public may think of him no longer wanting to suit up for his team: Simmons has been excoriated by the Philadelphia media and fans for his choice to sit out the 2021-22 season. The Sixers' young star has asked the team for a trade, and has also said he is not mentally ready to return to the court. He's been fined millions thus far, as the Sixers say

Simmons has refused to work with their team doctors to help get him in playing condition.

Harden, meanwhile, finds himself at the center of trade rumors for the second straight year, a year after he demanded a trade from the Houston Rockets. One of the league's premier scorers, he would be a transformative addition to the Sixers roster, but he would not come cheaply. Other key pieces would need to go to Brooklyn along with Simmons to get a deal done. Other factors that throw cold water on the idea of a deal reaching the finish are Harden's age (32) and questions about his long term durability, as well as the fact that Brooklyn is an archival of the Sixers and the younger Simmons could hypothetically do damage to them for years to come.

This is a breaking story. Check back for more details as they become available.