The dominoes have finally fallen.
Hours before the NBA trade deadline, Philadelphia and Brooklyn agreed on a trade that sends James Harden to the 76ers, while Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond are heading to the Nets.
There have been rumors over the past few weeks that Harden has wanted out of Brooklyn due to the Nets’ playing style. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden has wanted a trade to the Sixers but “has resisted making that formal request out of fear of the public backlash that would come with asking out of a second franchise in consecutive seasons.”
On Simmons’ front, he has not suited up for the 76ers this season, as reports say that he was not mentally ready to play for the franchise. The point guard has been in trade rumors since the beginning of the season.
This bodes well for Joel Embiid, as he’ll have some scoring help from a former MVP. For the Nets, they get an elite defender in Simmons, a three-point shooter in Curry and a much-needed rebounder in Drummond.
Embiid went to social media moments after the trade was announced.
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 10, 2022
