For the second straight season, guard James Harden of Los Angeles, California was involved in the biggest NBA trade of the season. Last year, in a blockbuster deal, he moved from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets. On Thursday, he moved from the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers according to Rogers Sportsnet.
In the deal, Harden and power forward Paul Millsap of Monroe, Louisiana were traded from Brooklyn to Philadelphia for point guard Ben Simmons of Melbourne, Australia, guard Seth Curry of Charlotte, North Carolina, and center Andre Drummond of Mount Vernon, New York, along with two first round draft picks. The bottom line is the Nets had to do something, but I was actually expecting a coaching change rather than a mega deal.
Harden, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, is averaging 22.5 points per game, 10.2 assists per game, eight rebounds per game, a field goal percentage of .414, a three-point percentage of .332, and a free throw percentage of .869. Theee times Harden has led the NBA in scoring with the Rockets. He had 30.4 points per game in 2017-18, 36.1 points per game in 2018-19, and 34.3 points per game in 2019-20.
We all know that Simmons was dissatisfied this season in Philly, and as a result was suspended by the 76ers back in October. He has not played in the NBA at all this season, and has reportedly been dealing with a back injury and mental health issues. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for him to suit up in Brooklyn. Simmons was the first overall pick in 2016.
Curry is averaging 15 points, four assists, 3.4 rebounds, and has a field goal percentage of .485, free throw percentage of .877, and a three-point percentage of .400. He is the brother of Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
In his prime, Drummond was a rebound machine, as he led the NBA in rebounds per game four times while with the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016 to 2020. Millsap meanwhile was a four-time All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014 to 2017.
