This story will be updated
In the end, both sides got (basically) what they wanted.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, the Nets and Sixers completed a five-player deal that will send James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia in return for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, an unprotected first rounder in 2022, and a protected first in 2027.
The deal may not be the last of the day, reports Woj, that the Nets could use their newly acquired picks to do other deals.
Here’s the series of tweets laying out the deals.
The Sixers are sending the Nets an unprotected 2022 first-round pick and a protected 2027 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are finalizing trade sending James Harden for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and draft picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2022
The Brooklyn Nets are still working to be aggressive in more deal-making today, armed with two new first-round picks, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022
As part of deal, new 76ers star James Harden is opting into his $47.3 million player option on contract for next season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2022
Brian Windhorst noted on ESPN that the acquisition of Drummond may signal an end to Nic Claxton’s Nets tenure.
“Brooklyn is looking at making other deals right now. Nic Claxton might be out, that’s why they got Drummond.”
Yossi Gozlan of Hoopshype noted that big savings in luxury tax and the addition of another trade exception could encourage the Nets to do other deals.
The Nets can also generate a new $11.3M trade exception if they take Seth Curry into the $11.45M Spencer Dinwiddie one. That leaves them with trade exceptions of $11.3M, $6.3M, and a $3.2M they can use along with the two first-round picks they acquired to improve the roster. https://t.co/GVgM2a6wQ2
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 10, 2022
The Philly trade will mean that Nets will have to either move another player to get down to the league max of 15 players or do an unbalanced deal that will even things out.
No word on when any of the players acquired in the trade will be available or how long Simmons, who hasn’t played this year, will need to ramp up.
Brooklyn will take its time getting Ben Simmons acclimated, but the star guard welcomes a change of scenery and has already had conversations with Kevin Durant and they’re all on the same page, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 10, 2022
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, a two-time All-Defensive Team member and one-time All-NBA player is under contract through 2024-25 and is seven years younger than Harden, who was just named to his tenth All-Star team. Over his career, the 2018 Rookie of the Year has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals with shooting splits of 56/15/60.
Curry, who played at Duke with Kyrie Irving, is one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters and is averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds with shooting splits of 49/40/88. He has started all 45 games he’s played in for the Sixers. He’s 31.
Drummond, 28, has had a checkered NBA career but is one of the game’s leading rebounders. As Joel Embiid’s back-up, Drummond is averaging 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists with shooting splits of 54/12/47.
Here’s additional details on the picks the Nets acquired, per Woj.
The Nets will receive the Sixers’ 2022 first-round pick unprotected with a right to defer until 2023 and a 2027 first-round pick protected from draft slots 1-to-8. The 2027 pick would roll over to 2028 protected Nos. 1-to-8 again., and turns into two seconds and $2 million in 2029..
The trade permits both teams to deal unhappy players and get a quality player in return and in the Nets case two quality players. The Nets also got two first round draft picks, one of them in this year’s draft where they had neither a first nor a second. Prior to Thursday’s deal, they couldn’t trade any of their firsts through 2028.
- Brooklyn Nets trade James Harden to Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, sources say – ESPN
- The Sixers acquire James Harden in a deadline-day trade and end the Ben Simmons saga – Keith Pompey – Philadelphia Inquirer
- James Harden traded for Ben Simmons in Nets-76ers blockbuster – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Sixers trade for James Harden; Ben Simmons dealt to Nets – Paul Hudrick – Liberty Ballers