James Harden

Kevin Durant: Harden’s Decision Came As A Surprise

February 12th, 2022 at 9:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Speaking to reporters tonight for the first time since James Harden was traded to the Sixers, Nets star Kevin Durant said he didn’t realize that Harden was unhappy in Brooklyn until he saw media reports over the past week, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.

Durant is rehabbing a sprained left knee that has sidelined him since January 15 and has limited the time he spends with teammates. He was on the bench Thursday night for the first time since being injured.

“I wasn’t around the team to really, really see the vibe,” Durant said. “But I know the losses hurt us, and I know my injury might have hurt the team a bit not being around. And then Kyrie [Irving] in and out the lineup. But I didn’t really get a feel for the team because I wasn’t around.”

Friedell states that Harden seemed fully committed to the Nets until recently, noting that just a week and a half ago he said the team had enough talent to compete for a title with a full roster. However, Harden ultimately made a direct request this week to general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai to send him to Philadelphia.

Durant doesn’t know what changed, but said he won’t be reaching out to Harden to get an explanation of why he felt he had to leave.

“James doesn’t have to explain anything to anybody,” Durant said. “He’s his own man. He makes his decisions on his career by himself. He doesn’t owe anybody an explanation, and I wasn’t looking for one. I’m just glad that we got this thing done and now we’re able to move forward and get some of this noise away, and I’m sure he would feel the same way. But from around our team and around our group, there’s noise about what may happen. So I’m glad we can push through that.”

There have been reports that Durant talked to Harden recently in an effort to convince him to stay at least through the end of the season. Durant refused to confirm that and added that nothing he could have said would have changed Harden’s mind.

“I think once a person gets to that decision of ‘I’m unhappy,’ I think he’s gone through a lot of steps to get there,” Durant said. “So no matter what I say or try to convince someone — I’m not saying I did this, but this is just my theory on this — no matter what I say or do to try to convince someone to change their mood from being unhappy to happy, I think that’s when I’m pretty late to the party. He’s made his decision. I’m sure people make their decision before they get to that mode of being unhappy. I didn’t have any conversations with James up until then. I thought everything was solid. I don’t do any convincing. I’m sure you make those choices and decisions on your own as an individual. Me as a friend, I just have to accept it.”

With the Harden distraction gone, the Nets now have to focus on turning around their season. Brooklyn has fallen into eighth place in the East after 10 straight losses, and there’s no definite date on when Durant might be able to resume playing or when Ben Simmons will join the team.

Durant said he’s focused on getting the team back on the right path and didn’t express any regrets over the breakup of the Big Three, who played only 16 games together but were 13-3 as a group.

“I feel like the basketball we played was a good brand of basketball while we were out on the floor, so I can live with what we did,” Durant said. “The outside noise and all that other stuff that happened, and how people feel about their time here … but once we actually laced them up and played basketball together, I think it was a good brand. So you could live with that.”

Joel Embiid: “I’m Glad That Everybody Has Moved On”

February 12th, 2022 at 8:20am CST by Rory Maher

Sixers MVP candidate Joel Embiid spoke to reporters, including Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, following the team’s 100-87 victory over the Thunder Friday night, and said he’s happy to not have to talk about Ben Simmons anymore, and is glad that everybody has moved on. In case you missed the blockbuster trade, Simmons was dealt to Brooklyn as part of a package that brought James Harden to Philadelphia.

“I’m happy that I’m not going to be answering any more questions about that subject,” Embiid said. “It’s good that, not just for me, but my teammates, the whole organization. The whole year it was pretty annoying with the whole situation, but I’m glad that everybody has moved on. I wish everybody the best in whatever they want to accomplish, but I’m focused on winning games here and trying to win a championship.

“You look at the history being on the court, what we did in the regular season, we were dominant. So it’s unfortunate that winning was not the biggest factor. It’s unfortunate that for him, having his own team and I guess being a star was more of his priorities. But I always thought that everything was great, the fit was great. But unfortunately Ben thought that it wasn’t. But we all move on.”

As Neubeck points out, Simmons won’t be the main star in Brooklyn, but it’s still a fresh start for a player whose time was clearly over in Philadelphia, and Embiid’s comments only solidify that their pairing had run its course. Embiid said he’s excited to form a dynamic partnership with Harden, and opposing teams will be left scrambling to decide which player to focus on.

“I think the way to look at it, every single time I touch a ball, there’s a double or triple team which is gonna make my teammates and [Harden] even better,” Embiid said. “So now you really got a choice. Are you going to double me or are you going to double him? You got to make that decision and based on every game it might change.

“Other teams might want to take me out of the game or other teams might want to take him out of the game. So we just adjust and then we just go from there…it’s exciting. I never played with someone like that. So I’m just excited for the new challenge and try to go and get it done.”

Coach Doc Rivers said the move makes the Sixers championship contenders and he’s prepared for the pressure that comes along with that, even though he’ll be rushed to get Harden acclimated to compete against the likes of the Suns, Bucks and Heat, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“No one else can put no more pressure on myself than I do,” Rivers said. “It will never happen. I’m in this to win. I’ve always been in this to win. When you get into that, when you make that decision, you understand there’s going to be pressure with it. And there should be. Because if there wasn’t, everybody would be champions. I think the reason we did this deal is so we can jump into the fray.

“I think [we are good enough],” Rivers continued. “I don’t know. That’s something we’ll find out. We did it with the belief we do, obviously. “We don’t have a lot of time. The Phoenix’s of the world and teams, Milwaukee and Miami, they’ve been together, Milwaukee three years, four years, as a group. So we have to get it done quickly.”

Nets Notes: Marks, Harden, Simmons, Irving, Mills, Nash

February 11th, 2022 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets general manager Sean Marks said the decision to move on from James Harden was a difficult one, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Make no bones about it: We went all-in on getting James Harden and inviting him to the group,” Marks said during a video conference call discussing the trade deadline Friday afternoon. “And these decisions to move on from a player like that, of that caliber, are never easy ones. I just want to be clear that this is not something that you think, great, let’s just make a split decision and move on from that. I give James a lot of credit for having open dialogue, open discussions with me and with the group, [Nets coach Steve Nash] and [owner] Joe Tsai and everybody over the last 24, 48 hours.

“Again, I said they’re not easy, but I think that’s something we pride ourselves on is being open and honest. James was honest with us and we were honest with him. I think it’s a move that enables him to have a fresh start, enables this team to have a fresh start, without trying to push things to make things work. If we realize this is not going to work, short-term or long-term, then it’s time to say for both parties involved, this is better off.”

Marks went on to say that trading Harden wasn’t about the team’s 10-game losing streak, it was based on his entire tenure in Brooklyn, and the newly-acquired players help the Nets in ways that Harden couldn’t.

“It’s not just eight or nine games,” he said. “The things that we’ve had to deal with over the course of the last year since James has been here is, to be quite frank, the Big Three, quote unquote, haven’t had significant time to play together for a variety of different circumstances. So, I think the frustration is more in that than in eight or nine games. Obviously it was not, and it currently isn’t, trending in the right direction, but we’re not going to make a decision off of one, two, five games, whatever it may be. The sample size has to be bigger. And at that point, we’re sitting here saying, ‘Yeah. We’ve seen enough.’ On both sides.

“We obviously thank James immensely for everything he’s done. Let’s be honest, he’s come in here and set all kinds of Brooklyn Nets records in such a short time. He’s a hell of a player, without a doubt. Again, these are not easy decisions, but we’re very grateful for what James has done over his short time here, but at the same time, adding these three players — Seth [Curry], Andre [Drummond] and Ben [Simmons] — help us in needs James doesn’t fulfill.”

When asked if the Sixers tampered by talking to Harden, Marks said that was for the league to decide.

“Unfortunately, the world we live in right now, so much of this is being played out in the media,” Marks said, per Bontemps. “So much of this is, whether it’s scuttlebutt, hearsay, and so forth, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s just the nature of the world we’re in. I’m not going to start making accusations at everybody else. Again, this particular set of circumstances was played out in the media far earlier than any conversations were ever had. I don’t know and again if this is where it ends up, that will be completely up to the league to look into these set of circumstances.”

There are several more interesting quotes from Marks in Bontemps’ article. I recommend checking it out.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Kyrie Irving said there were hints that Harden was unhappy in Brooklyn, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “I can’t really say that you feel that [unhappiness] in the locker room, but we get hints,” Irving said. “So we just wish him well. We want him to be ultimately successful. Now we move forward with the guys that are coming in. We’re excited. I just want everyone to be happy and do things they love to do, and be a part of things they can see themselves being successful at. It probably wasn’t here with us and he made a choice and we respect him for it. No love lost.”
Nets guard Patty Mills said that his fellow Australian Simmons is in a good place at the moment, Lewis writes in a separate article for the Post. “He’s in a really good place right now, speaking to him a fair bit lately and seeing what he’s been up to in terms of staying ready and getting his body right and getting game ready,” Mills said. “So it was good and pleasing for me to see and feel where he’s at. From that standpoint, you get a really hungry person who’s looking forward to playing basketball again, and especially with our group.”
Nash was reflective on what could have been with the “Big Three” era, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “You’re up 2-0 against the NBA champs, and then to not have James in the first games and then Kyrie in the last games, James being on one leg, Jeff Green being out of the lineup, all sorts of things that hampered our opportunity to win,” Nash said. “To take them to overtime in Game 7, you definitely think there are some what-ifs, but that’s life. You can’t look back. You’ve got to look forward.”

Harden Directly Asked Nets’ Marks, Tsai For Trade To Sixers

February 11th, 2022 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

For much of the 2021/22 season, Nets guard James Harden insisted during conversations with general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai that he wanted to remain in Brooklyn beyond this season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Insider link). And initially, signing a long-term deal with Brooklyn was Harden’s preferred option, since he could always force a trade down the road if he needed to.

However, as the season progressed, Harden began talking to various player agents to get advice about how best to make his way to Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s duo. As Wojnarowski and Shelburne detail, the Nets would often quickly learn what Harden – who has a reputation for being passive-aggressive rather than confrontational and was worried about the optics of making another trade request – was saying to agents and other third parties.

Finally, with the trade deadline fast approaching, Harden directly told Marks and Tsai that he would prefer to play for the Sixers, asking the GM and team owner on a FaceTime call to send him to Philadelphia, sources tell ESPN.

The Nets told him they would only make a deal if it was a good one for the organization, which Harden understood. While the two sides agreed at that point that Harden wouldn’t play until after Thursday’s deadline, the former MVP appeared to have already checked out on the team, according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, who say Harden informed management he was headed to Houston on Wednesday to wait out the deadline.

Here’s more from Wojnarowski and Shelburne on the Harden/Ben Simmons blockbuster:

Marks and Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey engaged in plenty of posturing in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline before eventually getting more serious late on Wednesday night, sources tell ESPN. Up until that point, Marks had listened to a couple of Morey’s trade pitches, but rebuffed them.
According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, when the two sides reengaged and eventually neared the finish line on Thursday, Marks told Morey he needed to hang up the phone to run the proposed deal by Tsai, prompting Morey to yell, “Stay on the f—ing phone!” Marks jokingly replied, “We’re dropping F-Bombs now, Daryl?” He ultimately got Tsai’s approval to move forward on the trade.
Simmons’ agent Rich Paul met with Nets star Kevin Durant and Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman nearly a month ago and pitched the idea of a Harden/Simmons swap, per Wojnarowski and Shelburne. Durant initially wasn’t interested in the idea, but the equation changed after he injured his knee and Harden became increasingly disengaged during his absence.
Harden doesn’t have a direct history with Sixers star Joel Embiid, but has always been a fan of the center and pushed Morey to trade for him when they were both in Houston, according to ESPN’s duo. “James respects players who do a good job defending him,” one source said. “And Joel has always done that.”
Although Simmons never got over what he viewed as a lack of public support from head coach Doc Rivers following last spring’s playoff loss to the Hawks, the two men had been speaking again in recent weeks, with conversations “increasing in substance,” per Woj and Shelburne. However, their final conversation on Thursday was mostly just an exchanging of pleasantries, sources tell ESPN.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Maxey, Simmons

February 11th, 2022 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Between the time the Nets agreed to send James Harden to the Sixers and the time the trade was formally announced on Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) that Harden would be picking up his $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 as part of the deal.

However, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com says that didn’t actually happen. If Harden wanted to opt in during the season, Neubeck explains, he would have had to officially do so before the trade was completed. He didn’t do that, according to Neubeck, who reports that the All-Star guard now won’t be able to exercise that option until the end of the season.

This may end up being just a technicality. Neubeck suggests the Sixers likely aren’t concerned about this piece of bookkeeping, since both sides are “operating under the belief that this is a long-term relationship.” Still, it’s a technicality worth noting, given how quickly Harden’s stint in Brooklyn went south. Until he exercises that option – or signs a new contract – the 32-year-old is only locked up through this season.

If Harden eventually does officially pick up his 2022/23 option, it would postpone his free agency by a year, but would technically become eligible for slightly more money over the next five years. His maximum salary would be a little higher with an opt-in and a four-year extension than it would be with an opt-out and a new five-year contract.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Harden’s Sixers debut date remains up in the air, Neubeck writes in the same story. The former MVP is expected to report to the team at some point this weekend and will be evaluated by Philadelphia’s health and performance staff. It’s possible that Harden, who hasn’t played since February 2 due to a minor hamstring issue, won’t suit up for his new team until after the All-Star break, says Neubeck. The earliest he could play is next Tuesday vs. Boston.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is thrilled to still be in Philadelphia after Thursday’s blockbuster trade and can’t wait to play alongside Harden and Joel Embiid, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s two MVP-caliber players on top of what we have here already,” Maxey said. “I think one thing that’s really going to help us is the chemistry and the brotherhood that we have here. It’s easy to welcome someone in, no matter who it is, Paul [Millsap], James, it’s easy to welcome people in because of the continuity we have here already. The guys here like each other, like being around each other, like talking to each other and also like playing extremely hard for each other on the court. [So we’ll] try to make the transition as easy as possible. It’s going to be great, and I just can’t wait.”
Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports has published a terrific in-depth look at the long process that led to the Sixers’ Simmons trade, sharing quotes from sources and revealing several new behind-the-scenes details.
In a story for PhillyVoice.com, Neubeck considers what the Sixers will look like on the court following their acquisition of Harden, examining which five players will be part of the team’s starting and closing lineups.

Nets Trade James Harden, Acquire Ben Simmons

February 10th, 2022 at 8:34pm CST by Luke Adams

8:34pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Nets and Sixers. Nets general manager Sean Marks released this statement:

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn. Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.

“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead.”

Sixers co-owner Josh Harris released the following statement in Philadelphia’s announcement:

“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion. We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”

12:18pm: The Nets and Sixers are finalizing a trade that will send James Harden to Philadelphia, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), Brooklyn will receive Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks, while the 76ers acquire Paul Millsap along with Harden.

Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the first-rounders headed to the Nets are the Sixers’ unprotected 2022 pick and a protected 2027 pick.

Brooklyn will have the right to defer this year’s pick to ’23, according to Wojnarowski, who says (via Twitter) the ’27 pick will be top-eight protected. If it doesn’t convey in 2027, it will be top-eight protected again in ’28. If it falls in its protected range twice, the Nets would instead get a 2028 second-rounder and cash.

Although a potential Harden/Simmons swap was first mentioned as a possibility back in the fall, it hadn’t been viewed as something that could realistically happen during the season until the last week or so.

With Kevin Durant injured and Kyrie Irving only partially available due to his vaccination status, the Nets have been in a tailspin, losing their last nine games. Harden had looked increasingly unhappy during Brooklyn’s slide and was said to be frustrated by Irving’s off-and-on availability.

Rumors began swirling that Harden was interested in reuniting with Daryl Morey in Philadelphia, culminating in a report this morning that said the former MVP wanted to be traded to the Sixers, but hadn’t made a formal request.

It still seemed like a long shot that the Nets and Sixers would find common ground before today’s trade deadline, but both sides were ultimately motivated to get something done. Brooklyn didn’t want to risk an unhappy Harden leaving for Philadelphia for nothing as a free agent in the offseason, while the Sixers wanted to resolve their standoff with Simmons and maximize their ability to contend for a title this season by acquiring a legitimate star to pair with MVP candidate Joel Embiid.

Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, had maintained since Simmons first requested a trade last summer that the team wouldn’t give away the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in a deal that didn’t bring back an All-Star caliber player. He took plenty of heat for that stance as the Simmons drama extended through the offseason, into training camp, and then well into the regular season, but it ultimately paid off. A year after missing out on Harden when the Rockets sent him to Brooklyn, Morey finally got his man.

Harden can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by turning down his $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 and would be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth up to about $269MM with the Sixers, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Harden and Embiid will team up to lead a Sixers roster that still features Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, both of whom reportedly drew interest from the Nets during trade talks.

Philadelphia maintained through the process that Maxey was off the table, but Brooklyn pushed for Thybulle up until today. Shortly before the two teams reached a trade agreement, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported (via Twitter) that the inclusion of Thybulle was the last remaining sticking point. The Nets ultimately relented on that point.

Simmons’ value took a hit as a result of his poor showing in last season’s playoffs and his subsequent holdout, but the Nets are getting one of the NBA’s best play-makers and defenders, albeit one who still lacks a jump shot.

They’ll also add a sharpshooter in Curry who will fill in nicely for Joe Harris, whose status for the rest of the season remains up in the air due to an ankle injury. Both players on on multiyear deals, with Simmons not eligible for free agency until 2025, while Curry’s contract expires in 2023.

Additionally, the Nets found a new home for Millsap in the deal. The team had agreed last month to trade or waive the veteran forward, who wasn’t satisfied with his role in Brooklyn. The Nets will replace Millsap and bolster their frontcourt depth by adding Drummond, who is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

The Nets created $15MM in tax savings as a result of the move, Marks notes (via Twitter).

The Nets will take their time getting Simmons acclimated, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the former No. 1 overall pick welcomes the change of scenery.He has already spoken to Durant and they’re on the same page, Haynes adds.

Simmons, who said he wasn’t mentally ready to play for the Sixers this season, will continue to work with his therapist now that he has been traded, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. “It’s a work in progress,” a source told Shelburne.

While more deals will be made today, it’s safe to say none will be as impactful as this one, featuring two Eastern Conference rivals who hope to contend for a title this season. It will be fascinating to see how the Nets and Sixers look going forward.

LeBron Chooses Giannis, Curry In All-Star Draft; Durant Picks Embiid, Morant

February 10th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After James Harden was traded away from the Nets on Thursday, former teammate Kevin Durant opted not to pick him in the All-Star draft conducted on Thursday night. Harden was the last player chosen by LeBron James for Team LeBron, as the league announced (via Twitter).

LeBron’s starters, besides himself, are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Jokic.

Durant, who won’t play in the All-Star Game at Cleveland due to his knee injury, chose Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Andrew Wiggins as Team Durant’s starters.

James selected Luka Doncic as his top reserve. His guard-heavy team also features Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet and Harden.

Team Durant’s bench includes Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert.

Thus, numerous teammates will be on opposing clubs for the All-Star game, including the Jazz’s Gobert and Mitchell and the Suns’ Paul and Booker.

The game will be played February 20 in Cleveland.

Atlantic Notes: White, Theis, Durant, Claxton, Knicks

February 10th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics’ flurry of action prior to the trade deadline has left them with a handful of open roster spots. They’ll fill them by signing free agents to 10-day deals in the short term, then explore the buyout market as players become available, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reports.

The trades that they made were done to improve the second unit, Himmelsbach adds. They view Derrick White as an upgrade in a sixth-man role, while Daniel Theis has already shown during his previous stint with the Celtics that he can mesh with this group. That deal with Houston for Theis came together at the last minute, Himmelsbach tweets.

The trades will also open up playing time for Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

How does Kevin Durant feel about the James Harden trade? In a TNT interview (hat tip to the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver), the Nets superstar said, “I’m excited for our team and looking forward to finishing the season out with this new group … The playoffs are right around the corner and we’ve got to fast track and get used to each other. I think everybody got what they wanted.”
The Nets explored trades involving Nic Claxton, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News tweets. Andre Drummond was added in the Harden deal and LaMarcus Aldridge is expected to return in the near future from an ankle sprain. Those developments will presumably eat into Claxton’s playing time.
The Knicks, who didn’t pull off a trade on Thursday, still want to compete for a play-in spot, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. They still believe they made an upgrade in adding Cam Reddish last month, even though coach Tom Thibodeau has played the young wing sparingly, and they’re expected to get Derrick Rose back in action from ankle surgery later this month.

More On The Sixers-Nets Blockbuster

February 10th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyrie Irving won’t be shedding any tears over the departure of James Harden, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. According to a “well-placed source,” Irving was eager to see a Harden trade come to fruition.

Vardon relayed a story where Irving lit some sage in the locker room before a game in Cleveland, which Harden found odd and annoying. Harden was also frustrated that Irving wouldn’t get vaccinated, limiting him to away games. Harden’s ball-dominant, initiate-and–shoot style was also an ill fit next to Irving’s playmaking.

We have more on the Nets-Sixers blockbuster:

The trade came together in earnest just this morning, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link). The Sixers had been calling Brooklyn about a potential deal but the Nets didn’t truly make counteroffers until Thursday. The Nets wanted Matisse Thybulle as part of the package but eventually settled for two first-round picks. “The Nets just felt it was time to cut ties with James Harden,” Wojnarowski said. “They were confident he was planning to leave them at the end of the season.”
Don’t expect Ben Simmons to suit up for the Nets before the All-Star break, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne speculates on NBA Today (video link). “Physically, this (his return) could happen at anytime but mentally I think he’s going to take a little time here,” she said. “The All-Star break is coming up and I would look for something after that.”
The trade leaves the Sixers $33.6MM over the salary cap and $9.4MM over the luxury tax threshold, Derek Bodner of the Daily Six newsletter tweets.

Harden Reportedly Wants Trade To Sixers But Hasn’t Made Formal Request

February 10th, 2022 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

Nets star James Harden would like to be traded to the Sixers, but hasn’t formally asked the Nets to move him, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski explains, Harden’s reluctance to make a trade request stems from a fear of the public backlash he would face for trying to force his way to a new team for a second consecutive season.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer previously reported that Harden wanted to be traded to the 76ers.

According to Wojnarowski, Harden is hopeful that the Sixers and Nets will be able to work out a deal prior to today’s deadline that sends him to Philadelphia, with Ben Simmons and other assets headed to Brooklyn. However, sources tell Woj that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to engage in serious dialogue on a deal.

There’s an expectation that the Nets and 76ers will talk on Thursday, so there’s still a possibility that the two sides could come to an agreement, Wojnarowski reports. However, Brooklyn would likely want a collection of assets beyond Simmons — Seth Curry, Matisse Thybulle, and future first-round picks have been repeatedly cited as pieces that would appeal to the Nets.

Both sides will have a handful of factors to take into account as they weigh whether or not to make a deal today. If Harden truly wants to go to the Sixers, Philadelphia could afford to be patient and try to land him as a free agent in the offseason when they wouldn’t necessarily require the Nets’ cooperation. Clearing the cap room required to sign Harden outright would be tricky, but not impossible, so Brooklyn may feel some urgency to get something in return for the All-Star guard today rather than risk facing that scenario this summer.

On the other hand, if and when the Nets get healthy, their roster as currently constructed has more championship upside than the Sixers’ roster does. Philadelphia may feel some pressure to get something done today in order to get Joel Embiid help to contend for a title this year, rather than face the possibility of having an asset like Simmons remain on the shelf for the rest of the season.

According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers have “largely retreated” on other trade discussions involving Simmons until they determine one way or another whether they can move him for Harden.

If the discussions between the Nets and Sixers hit a dead end today, it’s still possible Philadelphia will hang onto Simmons until the summer. More trade options, including a renewed opportunity to land Harden, could be available to the team at that point.

Harden, who hasn’t played since last Wednesday due to a minor hamstring issue, didn’t accompany the Nets to Washington for Thursday’s game vs. the Wizards, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Wojnarowski mentions in his story that Harden’s ongoing absence has led to speculation that he’s “purposely shutting down to send a message on his waning desire to remain with the Nets.”

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