Ben Simmons will be playing basketball again, and James Harden will no longer have to deal with an unvaccinated Kyrie Irving. On February 9th, at 1:17 pm the Philidelphia 76ers agreed to trade Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, and an unprotected 2022 first-round pick and a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets will be trading Harden and Paul Millsap. Both the 76ers and the Nets are trying to contend for a playoff spot, meaning that the deal reached is equitable for both teams.
Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers Finalize Harden – Simmons Trade
For the 76ers, Harden will get the chance to play with superstar Joel Embiid, one of the most talented centers on both the offensive and defensive end. The duo will have combined for 13 all-star game appearances, and 10 all NBA appearances, which is near the most of any duo in the NBA. Harden, 32, will be playing for his 4th team, and his third in the past two years. Harden will once again team up with former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey.
With this trade, Ben Simmons will finally get the chance to play again, now for the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons will play alongside 11-time all-star Kevin Durant and 7-time all-star Irving. However, Simmons has not played NBA basketball on June 20th of 2021, when the 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Rumors leading up to this blockbuster trade suggest that Curry was a major piece for the Nets to get in this deal. The injury to Joe Harris makes Curry’s perimeter prowess that much more valuable to this team.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the details of the draft pick compensation include Nets getting the Sixers’ 2022 first-round pick unprotected with a right to defer until 2023. Brooklyn also receives a 2027 first-round pick protected 1-to-8. The 2027 pick would turn to 2028 protected 1-to-8 again. If protected again, the pick rolls into two seconds and $2M in 2029.
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