Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said about two weeks ago that a Ben Simmons trade before the Feb. 10 deadline was "less likely than likely." Even after that comment, though, there's still ample suspense as the deadline nears.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Friday that the Nets are "believed to be open to discussing" a James Harden trade with the Sixers. Charania reports "the expected openness to engage does not mean a deal will come to fruition — the Nets would surely want a significant haul from the 76ers."
That the Sixers are "expected to pursue" a pre-deadline Harden trade, per Charania's report, is not revelatory. Morey traded for Harden with the Rockets in 2012, is known to admire the 32-year-old's game, and has been forthright about desiring a star in exchange for Simmons.
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Harden is a 10-time All-Star and former MVP who was part of widely reported trade talks along with Simmons ahead of last year's deadline. He ultimately went from the Rockets to Nets, who fell in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Bucks. Brooklyn is currently on a six-game losing streak and sits at 29-22. Harden was ruled out for the Nets' Friday night game against the Jazz with left hamstring tightness.
After this season, Harden will have a player option of $47.4 million, per Spotrac. Rival executives viewed a Harden-to-Philadelphia sign-and-trade this offseason as Morey's preferred scenario, Marc Stein reported last month.
There'd be some risk for any team in acquiring Simmons, a three-time All-Star who's missed the Sixers' first 51 games after requesting a trade and telling the team he wasn't mentally ready to play. However, the idea of the 25-year-old as a versatile defensive stalwart who could complement Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant isn't outlandish at all.
Durant has been out since suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in mid-January. Irving returned to the Nets last month but is only able to play in road games because he's not vaccinated against COVID-19 and New York City has a vaccine mandate.
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As for the Sixers, one of the obvious questions to consider is what they'd need to send the Nets to land Harden. The team is understandably very high on its best young players, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle. Maxey was named to the Rising Stars Challenge this week and Thybulle was a deserving All-Defensive Team selection last year.
The resolution of the lengthy Simmons standoff always promised to be franchise-altering for the Sixers. If it happens before Thursday afternoon, a Harden trade would sure meet that description.