NBA Rumors: Nets Asking for Ben Simmons and Several Sixers

The Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers have been engaging in trade talks for the last few days now. Last Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported

The Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers have been engaging in trade talks for the last few days now. Last Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Nets are suddenly open to discuss the idea of trading James Harden away.

Although reports on Tuesday indicated that talks haven't progressed very far, it seems things are moving in a positive direction for the Sixers, who need some help for their championship push moving forward.

With Ben Simmons eager to land on another team, the Sixers hold the biggest trade chip ahead of the deadline. However, Simmons can't and won't land the Sixers Harden himself. It was always known that Brooklyn would need another player in addition to Simmons in order to part ways with Harden.

At first, the young standouts Matisse Thybulle and Tyrese Maxey were mentioned as players that would interest Brooklyn. However, the Sixers have shown resistance in adding either one of those two in any Ben Simmons-centric package.

Over the last couple of days, reports have indicated that Danny Green or Seth Curry might have to get moved in order for the Sixers to land Harden, but ESPN's Brian Windhorst seems to believe that won't be enough.

The Latest From Windhorst

Sixers and Nets are talking about a Ben Simmons for James Harden trade and it is trending towards a deal happening, according to @WindhorstESPN

Nets are asking for Ben Simmons and two or three other players, according to @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/ggFYgBbBCI

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 9, 2022

(h/t John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia)

According to Windhorst, the Sixers and the Nets are actively discussing a trade centered around Simmons and Harden.

But the Nets aren't looking for a two-for-one deal. Instead, the Nets want at least two or three other players in addition to Simmons to part ways with their star guard now.

For the Sixers, that could be a tough pill to swallow. While they certainly could use Harden, the team is already lacking reliable depth. Moving several pieces along with Simmons is certainly a huge gamble -- especially if the roster can't stay healthy down the stretch.

This could be Brooklyn's latest attempt to see how much they can get now before lowering their price and finding common ground. But the fact that a deal isn't done right now hints that the Nets might be asking for too much in Philadelphia's eyes.

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