NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons for James Harden In Offseason

 

Will the Philadelphia 76ers trade Ben Simmons before the deadline on Feb. 10th? The rumors are getting more and more creative by the minute. Earlier today we heard that the Sixers are looking to package Simmons with an expensive teammate in any deal this season. Now we're hearing that he might be held back in order to trade for potential free agent James Harden this summer.  

On The Hoop Collective podcast today, NBA insider Brian Windhorst explained:

"Some executives in the NBA believe that one of the endgames for Ben Simmons is that he's traded for James Harden in a sign-and-trade next summer."

Harden has a player option to become a free agent after the season, and he has thus far been non-committal to the Brooklyn Nets about his contract situation. 

But fellow insider Marc Spears has his doubts about a deal like this for Philly. "Having been around the Nets for a week, I would be hesitant right now to give James Harden that max extension a year from now (this summer)... I watch Harden... I see him now, and I think it's heading in the wrong direction.

"I would be very very cautious, because I think is right on the brink of not being that top, top, top tier player that we're so used to seeing him be these past few seasons," concluded Spears. 

Nevertheless, says Windhorst, if Harden is, indeed, a free agent this summer, "and he wants to be a 76er, and the 76ers have Ben Simmons the roster, they're going to figure out a way to make that happen."

If the other scenario rumored today were to play out—the Sixers unloading both Simmons and Tobias Harris in a trade this season—that would free up enough cash for Philly to simply go after Harden as a free agent.  Unless, of course, they were both traded for Harden before Feb. 10th. 

The possibilities, taking into account all these reports, are seemingly endless. 

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