Are the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers on the verge of – or even talking about – a James Harden trade? It depends on which ESPN insider you listen to.
According to Brian Windhorst, Harden is desperate to get out of Brooklyn, and the Nets and Sixers are “in the deal zone” on a Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap.
“I know there’s people saying things on the record, trying to act like that’s not happening, but it is absolutely happening,” Windhorst said on Wednesday morning. “There is definite motivation from both sides to make this fall into place.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, however, says that the two sides are not engaging in negotiation at all. Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that Nets GM Sean Marks and Sixers president Daryl Morey spoke briefly on January 11th, and Marks gave a simple answer of “no” when Morey brought up Harden.
On Wednesday, Wojnarowski said there is no ongoing negotiation, and expects Harden to remain in Brooklyn past the deadline.
“Right now there’s no negotiation going on between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Trade deadline is tomorrow at (3:00 p.m. ET), it can change, but the idea that they are going back and forth that’s been surmised by some is… I don’t believe that to be accurate.”
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