NBA Isn't Investigating Sixers After Landing James Harden

Before the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers were rumored to be interested in acquiring James Harden for months leading up to the market's closing.

Before the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers were rumored to be interested in acquiring James Harden for months leading up to the market's closing. Considering the Sixers attempted to trade for Harden last year, it didn't come as a shock they wanted to take another stab at it if and when he became available.

A couple of weeks before the trade deadline, Harden was not only seemingly content with his role on the Brooklyn Nets, but the Nets' front office also wouldn't consider discussing a Harden-related deal with Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey. Eventually, that changed.

As it became more apparent the Sixers planned to pursue Harden, the rumors about the veteran All-Star's his desire to be in Philadelphia grew louder. 

For weeks, many speculated that if Harden landed with the Sixers either before the trade deadline or after the 2021-2022 season, then there is a good chance the Sixers would be investigated for tampering.

At this point, the Sixers landed James Harden through a trade with the Nets on the day of the deadline. A little over a week later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned that there is currently no investigation going on regarding the Sixers and James Harden, contrary to what many believed before.

Silver's Statement on the Situation

"There is no ongoing investigation right now. I think around the league this so-called notion of player empowerment is not a new issue. As I have said before, we, of course, want players and teams to honor contracts. So I think in this case you had two teams that ultimately seem satisfied by the outcome of the trade and willingly entered into it."

Ben Simmons made it clear he didn't want to play for the Sixers. Harden eventually did the same thing on his end with the Nets. The Sixers and the Nets then decided to swap stars when they realized there was no future with their former players.

In terms of pieces, Brooklyn got more in the deal. Meanwhile, the Sixers landed the superstar prospect they've been pursuing for over a year, along with a veteran piece they could use down the stretch.

Both teams might not have been happy about everything that transpired on their ends leading up to the trade deadline, but now Brooklyn and Philly both seem content with what they've acquired. So, the chances of Brooklyn forcing an investigation seem slim. While Silver mentioned the league would "continue to look at it," he added that nothing is immediate right now on that front.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.