Report: 76ers Expected to Pursue Nets’ James Harden Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline

The discussions for a Harden-Simmons swap are heating ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Rumors have surfaced in the last few months of Philadelphia’s desire to land Nets guard James Harden in a trade for Ben Simmons, but the pieces had not aligned for the franchise to do so. 

However, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, discussions for a Harden-Simmons swap could be heating up. With the NBA trade deadline in six days, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the next few days and the Nets are open to discussing a deal. 

Initially, 76ers president of basketball operations Darryl Morey did not believe he would be able to acquire his top target for Simmons before the league’s deadline. On Jan. 28, it was reported that Philadelphia had been centered around putting together a deal to land Harden or another high-caliber player during the offseason instead of dealing Simmons during the season. 

Since Harden teamed up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to form the Big Three in January 2021, the trio have only played in 16 games together while recording a 13–3 mark. 

While a Harden-Simmons deal remains on the table, other teams are actively still pursuing Simmons. The Hawks and the Timberwolves have shown their desire to potentially create a package to acquire Simmons while other teams, such as the Kings, have ended their pursuit of Simmons. 

As trade rumors continue to swirl, Simmons plans to sit out the remainder of this season if a deal is not done by the Feb. 10 deadline. Currently, Simmons is under contract with Philadelphia through the 2024–25 season.

What once looked like an offseason deal for the 76ers and Simmons could potentially be one of the biggest deals at this year’s trade deadline. Philadelphia (31–20) sits one game behind Miami in third place in the Eastern Conference while the Nets (29–22) are currently 1.5 games behind the Cavaliers for fifth place in the conference.