With less than a week to go before the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets are reportedly expected to discuss a potential deal involving Ben Simmons and James Harden.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports the Sixers are looking to finally part ways with their estranged All-Star point guard, who has yet to play this season and remains away from the team due to mental health reasons.
“There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package,” Charania wrote.
The news arrives just a week after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden has repeatedly reiterated his commitment to Brooklyn, telling the Nets ownership and management that he wants to win a championship with the organization. Even more, he believes that, when healthy, their Big 3 of Harden-Durant-Irving is “unstoppable.”
“James Harden has repeatedly told management, ownership, those in the organization that he is committed to be being a Net,” Woj told NBA Countdown. “He wants to win a championship there, and more than that, the ‘Big Three’ in Brooklyn — Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving — say publicly what they also say privately: which is when they’re together, they believe they’re unstoppable.”
