James Harden Traded to Sixers for Ben Simmons
The New York Times
Harden has been with the Nets since January 2021, when Houston traded him to Brooklyn. Simmons has not played in Philadelphia this season for personal reasons.
The Nets have agreed to trade guard James Harden, a former Most Valuable Player Award winner, to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package centered on Ben Simmons, the three-time All-Star point guard who has not played this season for personal reasons, according to two people with knowledge of the deal who were not authorized to speak publicly.
ESPN was the first to report the news. The deal was expected to be completed Thursday evening. Nets Coach Steve Nash didn’t address the trade in his pregame talk with the news media before the Nets’ game against the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
The stunning trade brings about a sudden and unexpected end to the superstar grouping of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Harden, who were, on paper, leading one of the most talented N.B.A. teams ever. But the three stars had rarely played together — only 16 games — since Harden was acquired from Houston in a trade last season, in part because of injuries and in part because of Irving’s refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, which has made him ineligible to play in home games in Brooklyn. The Nets had also barred Irving from road games and practices until mid-December.
