The Brooklyn Nets, despite initially claiming they were not trading James Harden, opted to cut a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers anyway for Ben Simmons.
According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Nets have acquired the disgruntled Australian in a blockbuster trade with the Sixers that included several other players and assets.
In the deal, the Sixers also sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported.
The Nets, on the other hand, have also included Paul Millsap in the deal.
A potential trade between Harden and Simmons has been speculated in the past days and there was word that both the Sixers and the Nets were in talks.
Considering that Harden was on an expiring deal and that there was no assurance he would stay, it appears the Brooklyn Nets were not willing to take a chance. This is despite the 2018 NBA MVP saying that he was ‘happy” being in Brooklyn.
As for Simmons, the Nets will take a bit of a risk on the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year.
The 25-year-old has not played a single minute this NBA season and it remains to be seen if he is in shape.
It will also be up to head coach Steve Nash and company as to how he can help rebuild the confidence of Simmons. Claiming he was undergoing mental issues, the 6-foot-11 cager still carries the ghost of last year’s NBA playoffs where he was criticized for his decision-making.
Aside from that, there is the lack of shooting that Simmons has been dealing with the past seasons.
However, the fact that Nash is a proven point guard could also see Simmons show vast improvement as a playmaker.
Despite the criticism, TBL President David Magley said on the Sports For All PH podcast that Simmons needs the right coach to get back on track. Nash is undoubtedly a guy who fits that need.
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