On Feb. 10, the trade between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers shook the NBA. The Sixers traded their former 2016 1st overall pick, Ben Simmons, alongside Andre Drummond, Seth Curry with two first-round picks for superstar James Harden and Paul Millsap. While many analysts have said the Nets won the trade, I think differently.
A reason why people believe the Nets won the trade is for its long-term factor. Simmons is viewed as a really good player in the league. With him winning the 2018 Rookie of the Year award, and his comparisons to legendary point guard Magic Johnson, the potential is there. However, one of the biggest question marks outside of his injury concerns is his inability to shoot the ball from both the midrange and three-point line. This was a big reason why the Sixers struggled in the playoffs last year because when he was on the court, defenses would leave him if he was around the perimeter. With the league now at the age of the three-ball, having someone who can’t shoot is troublesome. While getting picks, a player with good upside in Simmons, an elite shooter in Curry (not his brother) and a good rebounding center in Drummond is beneficial to have, it doesn’t match up great to what the Sixers got in return.
While the Nets got a nice package to put alongside their stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Sixers have made a “win now” move while keeping their important young players. Getting a player who can create his own shot, shoot the three well, and go to the free-throw line consistently in Harden is much needed in this league. Pairing Harden with Philadelphia’s star center who can do it all in Joel Embiid makes the Sixers a threat in the league. But getting Harden while still retaining Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle is a steal in my opinion. This team is now a championship contender, and with the young trio of Maxey, Thybulle and Embiid the future looks bright for Philadelphia basketball.
Recently Harden has played two games with the Sixers, winning these games by nice margins. In his debut game, Harden had 27 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds getting the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves with excellent performances from Embiid with 34 points and 10 rebounds and Maxey’s 28 points. The three performed great again against the New York Knicks, with Harden putting up 29 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, while Embiid got 37 points and 9 rebounds, with the help of Maxey’s 21 points and 7 rebounds. The team so far are in great spirits, heading to the end of the season.
As for the Nets, Curry and Drummond both had great performances for the games they’ve played. Simmons, however, hasn’t played yet so be on the lookout for his debut game with Brooklyn.
Sources: ESPN