The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be an active team when it comes to the trade market as they figure out how to land a second star to put next to Joel Embiid in order to chase a championship in the East.
They currently have a second star in the form of Ben Simmons who has become very disgruntled and he wants nothing to do with the franchise in terms of ever playing for them again. Therefore, the Sixers have to figure something out because as the roster is currently constructed, sans Simmons, they are not going to be strong enough to contend for a title.
President Daryl Morey has made it known that he wants an All-Star player in return for Simmons and the Sixers have had their eyes on some big names. One name, in particular, is Brooklyn Nets star James Harden who the Sixers were chasing during his time with the Houston Rockets before he was moved to Brooklyn.
Per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report:
The possibility of landing Harden has quietly hung over the Simmons dynamic all along. Philadelphia nearly shipped Simmons to Houston for Harden back in January, an outcome Harden was known around the league to have welcomed. If a strong enough deal for Simmons never comes Philadelphia’s way this season, there have been ongoing whispers about a free-agency sign-and-trade for Simmons that would allow Harden to join forces with Embiid, and rejoin Daryl Morey.
Harden is one of the more dynamic players in the league averaging 20.8 points, 9.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds for the Nets. His shooting numbers are down, but he is still an explosive offensive player who would certainly help Embiid in Philadelphia.
The only problem with that is that it means Morey would essentially be sacrificing the 2021-22 season. This possibility would come if the Sixers don’t get the trade offers that they expect for the 25-year old Simmons.
Another option that Philadelphia would like to look at is Boston Celtics wing player Jaylen Brown as Fischer reports:
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown is one of the All-Stars believed to be among Philadelphia’s wishful targets.
To be clear, Boston’s front office has yet to entertain the notion of splitting up Brown and Jayson Tatum during early calls with rival teams. “Talking to Boston, those are the only two untouchables,” said one assistant general manager.
Brown has been dealing with injuries, but he is averaging 21.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 37% from deep on 6.6 attempts per game in his sixth season. There is a lot that he brings to the table and he was named an All-Star in 2021.
Either way, Morey and the Sixers will certainly have to try and figure out what to do out on the floor and how to handle this Simmons situation. Either they mend the fences with Simmons and try again, they punt the season and wait for Harden, or they make a deal for a player who is solid, but not quite the All-Star the team wants.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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ESPN has come up with 3 realistic trades for Sixers star Ben Simmons
