There has been a breakup in Brooklyn right before the NBA trade deadline. The superstar trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden will be without Harden and replaced with Ben Simmions.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets have traded Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal that sends him and two first-round picks to Philly in exchange for Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond.
The Nets will also receive an unprotected 2022 first-round pick and a protected 2027 first-round pick.
It only took 16 games for the Brooklyn big three to call it quits. Although they finished with an impressive 13-3 record and made it to last year’s Eastern Conference finals when the three played together, they couldn’t find time together this year. With injuries, and Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated, the Nets struggled to find chemistry.
The Nets are currently in a nine-game losing streak thanks to Durant’s knee injury and Irving’s availability to play road games because of his COVID-19 vaccine stance. Harden requested a trade.
Harden will be reunited with the Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey — who oversaw Harden’s rise to superstardom in Houston — and join forces with current MVP contender Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, which enters Thursday atop the Atlantic Division standings.
Simmons will make his NBA debut once in Brooklyn. Simmons played this season because of mental health issues and has sought a trade since this past offseason. The three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year has been accruing fines from the Sixers since he decided not to report to training camp last year.
