Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers Reportedly In ‘Deal Zone’ On Potential Harden-For-Simmons Trade

With one day to go before the NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. on Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly in the “deal zone” on a potential James Harden-for-Ben Simmons trade, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

“We’re in the deal zone between Harden and Simmons,” he said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up.’ “I suspect they are gonna get it done. I’m not gonna tell you they’re gonna get it done but it’s trending in that direction.”

Per Windhorst, the Nets are trying to wring “two or three other pieces, draft picks and players on the Sixers’ roster” — presumably including guard Tyrese Maxey — out of the Sixers in addition to Simmons.

“I can’t tell you how much James Harden wants this … his actions over the past 10 days are basically a threat to the Nets,” Windhorst said on ESPN radio, referring to the fact that Harden has missed five of the team’s last seven games with injuries.

The Philadelphia Inquirer had similar reporting, saying the two sides on Tuesday “bickered over pieces to add to a potential deal.”

Maxey, the 21-year-old former Kentucky standout, is a star on the rise. He’s averaging 16.9 points, 4.8 assist and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 47% from the field and 40% from deep.

The Nets (29-25) have lost nine straight and have dropped to the 8 seed in the East while they continue to play without a host of injured players, including Harden, Kevin Durant, Joe Harris and LaMarcus Aldridge. Kyrie Irving is only eligible to play in road games because he’s unvaccinated against Covid-19.

The Sixers (32-22) are the 5 seed in the East and view Harden as the perfect complement to big man Joel Embiid, the favorite to win MVP honors, as they chase an NBA championship this season.

Publicly, the Nets have said they are not trading Harden, a 10-time NBA All-Star who has grown frustrated with the Nets’ inconsistency and reportedly with Irving’s status as a part -time player.

“I’ve talked to James and he wants to be here. He wants to be here long term as well,” head coach Steve Nash said this week. “I don’t think anything has changed other than noise from the outside. James wants to be here. We’re building with James and we think we have the best chance to win with James. I don’t think anything has changed on the inside, in our locker room, in our communication. It’s just all the noise from the outside.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this week that Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks dismissed the the trade talks on Harden “a month ago,” but that the Sixers could attempt to re-engage the Nets ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

The Athletic reported late last week that the Nets remained open to discussing a trade.

Harden, who has missed six of the team’s last eight games with injuries, is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds. He has a player option for next season at $47.4 million and did not sign an extension in October. He joined the Nets in January 2021 in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Rockets and has been a part of Brooklyn’s “Big 3” along with Durant and Irving, who signed with the Nets in free agency in the summer of 2019.

But the trio has only played 16 games together, going 13-3.

Simmons hasn’t played for the Sixers all season after he showed up late to start the season after training in Los Angeles and has since cited mental health issues while sitting out.

Simmons is due to make $33 million this season and has four years and $147 million left on his contract.

Simmons reportedly got vaccinated this week after initially showing up to training camp unvaccinated. Being vaccinated would enable him to play in home games at Barclays Center.