The Houston Rockets have been looking to move disgruntled superstar James Harden for a little while now as they get set to move on from that era. The Philadelphia 76ers have been a team that is on that list, but talks have not gone anywhere due to the Sixers not wanting to move Ben Simmons.
However, it appears that thought has changed as the Sixers have now included Simmons in any potential deal for Harden.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers have now decided to include Simmons trade talks, but still nothing serious between the two teams:
While the Sixers have signaled a willingness to include All-Star guard Ben Simmons in trade packages for Harden, those talks have come nowhere close to a deal, sources said.
The Philadelphia 76ers have made Ben Simmons available in some packages with the Houston Rockets for James Harden, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Conversations aren't fluid as of now.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 17, 2020
Team president Daryl Morey then contacted The Athletic and said that the team is not trading Simmons and that he is a key part of the team’s future.
In response, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium: “We are not trading Ben Simmons — he is an important part of our future.” https://t.co/W6T7HQjjoP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2020
As mentioned previously, the Sixers will have to decide whether Harden helps get them over the top. Moving a guy like Simmons, who is 24-years old and is already one of the top players in the league, is definitely risky. So president Morey has to be sure that it is worthwhile to move Simmons for Harden. [lawrence-related id=40343,40333,40331]