Nets Trade James Harden to 76ers for Ben Simmons

The Nets and Philadelphia 76ers have completed a blockbuster deal that ends James Harden’s tenure in Brooklyn and sends Ben Simmons to Kings County.

The Sixers also send Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to the Nets alongside  Simmons, in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap,

The Brooklyn Nets are trading James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

It ends a weeks-long saga around speculation that Harden had grown increasingly unhappy in Brooklyn and caps a somewhat disappointing end to the “Big 3” era for the Nets. 

The picks included in the deal are the Sixers 2022 first-round pick unprotected and a 2027 first-round selection that is protected 1-to-8, according to Wojnarowski. The Nets will be able to defer the 2022 pick to 2023.

The Nets will get the Sixers' 2022 first-round pick unprotected with a right to defer until 2023 and a 2027 first-round pick protected 1-to-8, sources tell ESPN. The 2027 pick would roll over to 2028 protected 1-to-8 again. The pick turns into two seconds and $2M in 2029.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The deal came with less than two hours to go before the NBA’s 3 p.m. trade deadline as word began to break that Simmon’s camp was optimistic that something was going to happen.

Simmons did briefly return but never played and eventually told the team he was not mentally ready to step on the court.