The Nets have traded James Harden to the 76ers in a blockbuster deal that ends the former MVP’s short-lived Big Three stint in Brooklyn and also signals a fresh start for Ben Simmons, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Harden is on the move via trade for the second time in just over a year — this time to Philadelphia, which will send Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks to Brooklyn, sources tell Wojnarowski.
The Sixers also acquired veteran forward Paul Millsap in the deal, according to Wojnarowski.
The Nets will receive the Sixers’ 2022 first-round pick unprotected with a right to defer until 2023 and a 2027 first-round pick protected from draft slots 1-to-8, sources tell Wojnarowski. The 2027 pick would roll over to 2028 protected Nos. 1-to-8 again., and turns into two seconds and $2 million in 2029, according to Wojnarowski.
The Nets acquired Harden in January 2021 as part of a megadeal to unite the three-time NBA scoring champion with fellow superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
But less than 13 months later, the reeling Nets — mired in a nine-game losing streak amid Durant’s knee injury and Irving’s limited availability because of his COVID-19 vaccine stance — parted ways with Harden, who had wanted a trade to the Sixers, according to Wojnarowski.
Harden will be reunited with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey — who oversaw Harden’s rise to superstardom in Houston — and join forces with current MVP favorite Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, which enters Thursday atop the Atlantic Division standings.
The trade, agreed to just hours before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline, also marks the end of Simmons’ stint with the Sixers, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2016.
Simmons, 25, has not played this season, citing mental health issues, and had been seeking a trade since this past offseason. The three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year has been accruing fines from the Sixers since he decided not to report to training camp last year.
