Getty Image / Steven Ryan
- Rumors have been swirling recently about James Harden being traded by the Brooklyn Nets
- New reports say that they are getting close to making a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers
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As the Brooklyn Nets have watched themselves drop into the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race, rumors have swirled about the team potentially experiencing one major change. Now that move appears to be closer to reality than ever.
According to Brian Windhorst, the Nets are in the “deal zone” with the Philadelphia 76ers in negotiations to swap James Harden and Ben Simmons.
.@WindhorstESPN says Ben Simmons-James Harden trade discussions are absolutely happening 👀
"The teams are absolutely engaged in trade discussions. … As far as I can tell, we're in the deal zone between Harden and Simmons." pic.twitter.com/gvZfNTfCFk
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 9, 2022
There was also a report today that Harden is doing whatever he can to get traded by the Nets right now.
In reality, none of this is good for anybody. For the Brooklyn Nets, it’s hard to picture Ben Simmons at his best making them any better. He’d be on a team with 2 ball-dominant scorers in Kevin Durant and doesn’t really offer much playing off the ball.
For the 76ers, they’d pick up another star, but nothing about James Harden’s career should lead us to believe he’s the player to help Joel Embiid get a ring.
Then there’s the matter of James Harden’s legacy. If Harden is traded by the Nets, this would be third team he’s failed to win a ring with and on two of those teams he’s had Kevin Durant to lead the way.
The move for James Harden that was supposed to help both him and the Brooklyn Nets finally get a ring, but now it looks like it is going to just be a sloppy divorce. This thing fell apart quickly and now it’s unlikely anybody is leaving this situation happily.