James Gordon
James Harden, a longtime Houston star and former Oklahoma City Thunderbolt, is now officially part of the Brooklyn Nets, where he will team up with veteran playmaker Kyrie Irving and superstar striker Kevin Durant, among others. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers also joined the deal in massive negotiations.
However, it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers were significantly outscored by Harden on Wednesday night, according to a report from KRON4’s Jason Dumas in the Bay Area.
It’s not surprising that Philadelphia didn’t bring Harden to the City of Brotherly Love, as the Rockets’ former general manager, Daryl Morey, now runs the Sixers’ front office, which has made things a bit controversial on both sides.
However, it should be noted that the Rockets could have a pretty long stay in Philadelphia if the team decided to trade Harden to the Sixers.
Source : The Rockets claimed Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Matthysse Tybull and a number of unprotected draft picks as compensation for James Harden.
– Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) January 13, 2021
Not only would the Rockets get their hands on rookie Matisse Thybulle and rookie Tyrese Maxey, both coming to Philadelphia, but Houston would also get their hands on playmaker Ben Simmons, who of course would lead such a deal.
With Harden still one of the league’s best versatile players, the Rockets also wanted the Sixers to select many unprotected players in the first round of the NBA draft under the same deal. Perhaps the presence of the aforementioned Morey helped the negotiations between Houston and Philadelphia, as the Nets were finally able to intervene and make a very successful deal.
The Rockets looked good even after the addition of the Cavaliers’ guard Dante Exum, the Nets’ crooked Rodions’ Kurucs and the Packers’ All-Star guard Victor Oladipo. With the trio joining playmaker John Wall, striker Christian Wood and Houston great DeMarcus Cousins, the future doesn’t look so bad for H-Town. They also added four future first-round picks to the NBA draft, as well as four future exchanges.
On the other hand, of course, the Nets have a player like Harden who will instantly improve an already dangerous lineup and make life even harder for the Eastern Sixes.
Although the 76ers’ start has since been halted due to some injuries and complications at COVID-19, Philadelphia is still capable of succeeding: Ben Simmons with centre-half Joel Embiid, striker Tobias Harris and numerous other role players contributing on both sides of the pitch.
It’s very likely that the Sixers would be better off not trading Harden, as the Nets have just given up more than a few potentially important elements of the franchise’s future to win now. In the end, it wasn’t worth the risk.
Related Tags:
james harden trade, james harden trade to nets, james harden trade details, ben simmons, blockbuster trade meaning, nba trade machine, nba trades, victor oladipo
James Gordon
