James Harden-Ben Simmons Trade Slam Dunk For Daryl Morey, Sixers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Ben Simmons saga finally ended Thursday as the Sixers have reportedly dealt the three-time All-Star to the Brooklyn Nets in a package for former MVP James Harden.
The Sixers also shipped out Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, two first-round picks, and received Paul Millsap from Brooklyn.
But, was this a good deal for the Sixers, or did they give up too much?
Parting ways with Curry and Drummond hurts their depth, but this is a slam dunk for the Sixers as they make a push to win their first title since 1983.
Paring Harden with Joel Embiid, who's leading the NBA in scoring and one of the favorites to win MVP, is something that will terrify opposing teams on a nightly basis.
Embiid has never played with a guard like Harden before and it will help him out significantly. Sure, Harden's numbers are down a bit this season compared to previous years, but he's still playing at an elite level.
For example, remember when Embiid and Simmons would share the court together? In almost every game, there was always a clip that would go viral on Twitter of Simmons' man sagging into the lane to double Embiid.
Give Embiid credit, that never stopped the big man from dominating. But now, with Harden leading the offense, Embiid will have so much more room to operate anywhere on the court. The two should flourish together offensively.
On defense, you lose a lot on defense with Harden compared to Simmons, but his talents on offense outweigh that tremendously.
Harden has also reportedly opted into his player option for next season, which is a significant development. Some questioned whether trading for Harden was a good idea due to him requesting trades in back-to-back seasons, but now president of basketball operations Daryl Morey can plan ahead to build with Embiid and Harden as the Sixers' core.
There's always a fear that players can walk away, or things not working out when acquiring stars like Harden, especially with his recent hamstring issues, but that's the risk you have to take when pursuing a title.
While parting ways with Drummond and Curry is tough, it was the better option than giving young pieces like Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle. Dealing Thybulle rather than Curry may have been preferable, as Curry's shooting would've been a great fit around Harden and Embiid, but the Sixers were reportedly against trading either Thybulle Or Maxey.
Curry and Drummond are both currently on very team-friendly deals. It was never guaranteed they would re-sign Curry after his deal is up after next season. He'll probably get overpaid. Same with Drummond, who will be a free agent after this season, so sending those guys out for Harden in return is a great deal.
Morey deserves credit here. This is a trade that could bring the Sixers to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001, and possibly head down Broad Street for the first time since 1983.
Morey was a lightning rod for criticism throughout the Simmons saga, but he played his hand extremely well and got his guy.
Numerous times this season, Sixers fans have berated Morey with tweets begging him to make a deal at the deadline to maximize Embiid's prime while he's playing at an MVP level. Well, you got your wish.
Now, we see how it all unfolds.
