James Harden Wants To Be Traded To Philadelphiia; Won’t Formally Demand Trade Due To Public Backlash

[John Murdoch]

Would Marks rly defy KD tho sayinghe wanted Harden to stay...tough spot but if ur losing 10 straight games you gotta do what u have to . Always felt like it was a robbery trade anyways but now the scales have evened out especially with Jarett Allen looking like an Allstar

[Hello Brooklyn]

Because nobody else wants Simmons.

Read on Twitter

Morey passed on a tonne of deals because he knew his baby James Harden was coming home.

I have defended Morey since the start. When others were calling him an idiot.

Still he has to pay a fair price.

[Hello Brooklyn]

According Windhorst, they're "in deal zone" and supposedly Harden wants it done too.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265742/Nets-76ers-In-Deal-Zone-On-James-Harden-For-Ben-Simmons-Trade

Harden wants out. He'll torpedo the Nets season if they don't move him now.

Nets have lost all leverage. Look for them to cave shortly.

#FreeHarden

Nets are already torpedoed

You think were winning **** this year with part time Kyrie and mentally ill Ben Simmons?

I'd rather take my chances that Harden comes back to his senses by the playoffs.

[kuclas]

It really makes no sense to trade harden now from
Nets perspective. Assuming the hamstring is ok. That’s just gonna to makes sixers a title contender immediately that way embiid is playing. He doesn’t need much more than harden just trying to take over the game the last 5 minutes embiid can maintain the sixers within striking range all game til he tires out.

[Hello Brooklyn]

You're halfway thru the 5 stages of grief and on bargaining there. My guess is if a trade happens you'll be into depression and then hopefully hit acceptance.

The only one depressed will be the team paying fat ass, hamstring ridden Harden 200 million dollars.

Good luck.

Hmm. This seems like a bit of a change in take from you. A couple of weeks ago, I think you would have been fine paying fat ass Harden 200 million.

Am I wrong here?

After the Kings game I was out on Harden.

[PhilBlackson]

Personally if I was Morey I wouldn't do a deal with BKN....because that could blow up in his face.

People keep talking/treating Harden like he's still the guy from HOU but he's older, slower and becoming more injury prone due to age, likely all that heavy (no pun intended) usage and of course not being in peak physical shape. Not to mention what will his fit with Joel be like?! Personally I like Dame and Beal's fit to play off the ball and roam around the perimeter more as it opens up the floor for Embiid and forces teams to pick their poison. Harden does little to nothing when he isn't on ball, so their offence will likely be a matter of just taking turns other than the occasional drive and lob/drop off to Embiid from Harden. Sure that's an improvement from Ben passing on open dunks but nonetheless I don't think they have some great complimentary fit. Plus no one seems to talk about how Harden chokes in big pressure situations, you think he's going to be able to handle the PHI crowd?! I don't. Then you think of the flipside of the equation and adding Ben to BKN, IF (I know it's a big one) Kyrie eventually complies for his extension or the mandate drops, PHI just f'd themselves...think about it...

Ben would be in THE perfect situation for himself as he'd essentially become a hyper version of Draymond in BKN, they wouldn't need his scoring at all, just to defend and find open shooters which their would be a plethora of if the deal is in fact Ben/Seth. Think about Ben being surrounded by KD, Kyrie, Seth, Patty and Harris -- teams will get their heads bombed on with 3s all day & night just like GSW except they have 2 killers/closers in KD & Kyrie and if you're Morey, you want Harden to rise to the occasion to face off against a pissed off KD in a series while Simmons is locking him down lmao that would end hilariously bad for the Sixers.

So no if I'm Morey, the intelligent thing would be to hold off to the off season and see if one of POR (*ahem*) or OKC (*ahem*) would be interested in helping execute a S&T for Harden while they get Simmons. Send him out West and don't create not only a threat but if fully healthy an even better team than what you made.

[liquidswords]

I wonder if the right concession for both sides is something like this:

Harden + Harris for Simmons + Green + Curry

BKN can get themselves out from under the Harris deal and PHI doesn't have to include Maxey and/or Thybulle

[bebopdeluxe]

The Jordan Schultz tweet - assuming that this intel is good (and his track record is far from pristine) - also included a comment that he hears that the Nets like Isaiah Joe. That is actually a pretty good pull - he is the kind of player that a draft-pick-starved team needs to have at the bottom of the roster. The dude has virtually logo-type range - he just needs more minutes to grow his game. Another guy who fits this profile is Charles Bassey - an energy big with a 7'4" wingspan and decent court awareness on D.

A deal like Simmons, Green, any of Milton/Joe/Bassey, and a pick or two would help to replace the draft assets that the Nets gave for Harden.

[Murray_17]

Hes coming to Brooklyn. Rich Paul is one the case.

Rich Paul was trying to convince Ben he should play for the Sixers if not traded just last week.

He also has been soo effective, Ben is seriously loosing money and every try Paul has done to redime his image has been a total failure.

If you think that's the guy that is gonna force Simmons to the Nets you're out of your mind.

Not to mention you thought just 3 days ago Simmons was trash and not worthy of the all mighty Nets

[Pointgod]

Technically they can trade Simmons for future picks, stretch Tobias Harris to where he's costing about $15m a year for the next 5 years and then just dumping someone like say Korkmaz for 2nd and then sign Harden outright.

That's not the 'ideal' scenario. But it is possible to sign Harden without trading Harris if they can't find absolutely any takers for him. It's also possible to trade Harris and take back $10m-$15m in salary and make the Kokmaz move and have enough space to sign Harden. So it doesn't need to necessarily be a Harris off the books completely deal either.

My guess is one of the biggest reasons Morey is talking to teams about Harris *RIGHT NOW* is to show the Nets it's not as impossible to 'dump' Harris as they may want to say it is to use as leverage against the Sixers.

Or crazy idea. Sixers just trade Simmons for Harden straight up in the offseason. If Morey’s best offer is Simmons and Green right now and his worst offer in the summer is Simmons and Green, then why rush to get the trade now? It makes it sound like the Nets are backed in a corner, they’re really not. Remember Simmons isn’t even playing right now and trading for him could put the Nets out of the playoffs until Durant comes back. Durant/Harden + part time Kyrie is greater than Durant/Simmons + part time Kyrie.

There's no guarantee Ben Simmons will still be available as a return to the Nets in the summer. If Morey has set the stage to be able to flip Harris & picks for cap space at that point what incentive is there to trade Ben Simmons for Harden? He can trade Ben SImmons to another team, create cap room, maybe get a player and picks back and then sign Harden. Then at that time it will be up to the Nets whether they want to do a 'save a little face' type of S&T to get back a pick or something and Harden is 'happier' just from getting a higher starting salary or bigger increases from bird rights.

So Morey wouldn’t do the trade he was going to do in the at the deadline in the offseason for reasons? Think about what you’re say. There are only 3 teams with capspace in the offseason. OKC, Detroit and San Antonio. Good luck convincing those teams that Ben will be happy there long term. Of course Morey wants to go with the low ball offer right now because he’s also not wasting a MVP season from Embiid. But it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t make the same low ball offer to the Nets in the offseason and instead go through some convulted process of clearing capspace to two of the three teams with space this summer.

[Swish1906]

Simmons and Seth Curry. Rivers wont like it but Harden and Seth are unplayable together

[Hello Brooklyn]

It really makes no sense to trade harden now from
Nets perspective. Assuming the hamstring is ok. That’s just gonna to makes sixers a title contender immediately that way embiid is playing. He doesn’t need much more than harden just trying to take over the game the last 5 minutes embiid can maintain the sixers within striking range all game til he tires out.

Agreed.

Which is why the Nets will only do it if the Sixers sweeten the pot.

Next year Nets should have KD, full time Kyrie and mentally normal Simmons (ideally.)

They have no incentive to do it this year.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Looks like Seans Marks agrees with me. Seems like he understands leverage.

In the meantime Sixers can work on giving up picks to dump Harris and torpedo their season. I don't think its smart strategy.

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[Mamba81p]

How would they lose him for free? There are only a couple of teams with max cap room, and I can't see Harden signing in OKC or Detroit or San Antonio.

Worst case scenario they do a sign and trade and get some real assets back. I bet Morey will still be on the line in the offseason.

They lose him for free because the Sixers use those teams w/cap to clear Simmons and Harris. Then sign Harden outright.

Moving $70 mil in salary without taking any salary back is not as easy you may think. Not impossible, but it's not a trivial task.

This.
In this summer, with so few teams with cap space, in a bad economy for teams and with an enormous check for non-tax payers, it's almost impossible. I still have to see a realistic scenario where they dump that salary in the summer. Some people need to read the CBA before giving opinions.
Before the deadline they can do it, but they seem reluctant to do that, maybe because nobody wants him?

[Arsenal]

According Windhorst, they're "in deal zone" and supposedly Harden wants it done too.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265742/Nets-76ers-In-Deal-Zone-On-James-Harden-For-Ben-Simmons-Trade

Harden wants out. He'll torpedo the Nets season if they don't move him now.

Nets have lost all leverage. Look for them to cave shortly.

#FreeHarden

Nets are already torpedoed

You think were winning **** this year with part time Kyrie and mentally ill Ben Simmons?

I'd rather take my chances that Harden comes back to his senses by the playoffs.

Doesn't matter what *you* want. The Nets aren't dumb enough to cut their nose off to spite their face.

Harden wants out. It's over.

[Mamba81p]

Or crazy idea. Sixers just trade Simmons for Harden straight up in the offseason. If Morey’s best offer is Simmons and Green right now and his worst offer in the summer is Simmons and Green, then why rush to get the trade now? It makes it sound like the Nets are backed in a corner, they’re really not. Remember Simmons isn’t even playing right now and trading for him could put the Nets out of the playoffs until Durant comes back. Durant/Harden + part time Kyrie is greater than Durant/Simmons + part time Kyrie.

There's no guarantee Ben Simmons will still be available as a return to the Nets in the summer. If Morey has set the stage to be able to flip Harris & picks for cap space at that point what incentive is there to trade Ben Simmons for Harden? He can trade Ben SImmons to another team, create cap room, maybe get a player and picks back and then sign Harden. Then at that time it will be up to the Nets whether they want to do a 'save a little face' type of S&T to get back a pick or something and Harden is 'happier' just from getting a higher starting salary or bigger increases from bird rights.

So Morey wouldn’t do the trade he was going to do in the at the deadline in the offseason for reasons? Think about what you’re say. There are only 3 teams with capspace in the offseason. OKC, Detroit and San Antonio. Good luck convincing those teams that Ben will be happy there long term. Of course Morey wants to go with the low ball offer right now because he’s also not wasting a MVP season from Embiid. But it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t make the same low ball offer to the Nets in the offseason and instead go through some convulted process of clearing capspace to two of the three teams with space this summer.

OKC has cap space in the offseason? They have SGA extension and Kemba's dead cap. Detroit has only 20 million(?)

[Murray_17]

They have no incentive to do it this year.

They actually have. Until yesterday no possible contender had cap space to outright sign Harden which gave the Nets leverage. Portland cleared 60$ millions yesterday so they can sign Harden and offer a Harden/Dame pairing if necessary.

The Sixers right now have the power because they're not even forced to clear their cap for the Nets to lose Harden for nothing in the next off season.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Harden wants out. He'll torpedo the Nets season if they don't move him now.

Nets have lost all leverage. Look for them to cave shortly.

#FreeHarden

Nets are already torpedoed

You think were winning **** this year with part time Kyrie and mentally ill Ben Simmons?

I'd rather take my chances that Harden comes back to his senses by the playoffs.

Doesn't matter what *you* want. The Nets aren't dumb enough to cut their nose off to spite their face.

Harden wants out. It's over.

Its not cutting off their nose to not get a return for Harden.

We can get the same thing youre offering now in the off season.

Youre the one who has 30 million sitting at home right now. Not us.

[jpengland]

Philly doesn't just have the 'we will sign him in the summer' leverage.

They also have the '28 other teams may sign him in the summer' leverage.

Philly loses none of its assets for nothing in the summer.

Given the fact Harden is clearly trying to get out, the Nets have been sucking and aren't looking like title contenders this year and I'd say Morey has the leverage here.

[Arsenal]

Or crazy idea. Sixers just trade Simmons for Harden straight up in the offseason. If Morey’s best offer is Simmons and Green right now and his worst offer in the summer is Simmons and Green, then why rush to get the trade now? It makes it sound like the Nets are backed in a corner, they’re really not. Remember Simmons isn’t even playing right now and trading for him could put the Nets out of the playoffs until Durant comes back. Durant/Harden + part time Kyrie is greater than Durant/Simmons + part time Kyrie.

There's no guarantee Ben Simmons will still be available as a return to the Nets in the summer. If Morey has set the stage to be able to flip Harris & picks for cap space at that point what incentive is there to trade Ben Simmons for Harden? He can trade Ben SImmons to another team, create cap room, maybe get a player and picks back and then sign Harden. Then at that time it will be up to the Nets whether they want to do a 'save a little face' type of S&T to get back a pick or something and Harden is 'happier' just from getting a higher starting salary or bigger increases from bird rights.

So Morey wouldn’t do the trade he was going to do in the at the deadline in the offseason for reasons? Think about what you’re say. There are only 3 teams with capspace in the offseason. OKC, Detroit and San Antonio. Good luck convincing those teams that Ben will be happy there long term. Of course Morey wants to go with the low ball offer right now because he’s also not wasting a MVP season from Embiid. But it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t make the same low ball offer to the Nets in the offseason and instead go through some convulted process of clearing capspace to two of the three teams with space this summer.

POR now also has $60M cap space. And they really want Ben Simmons.