According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, there is belief within NBA circles that Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey intends to wait until the summer to trade disgruntled All-Star Ben Simmons in hopes of landing Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden.
That comes after NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week that there was buzz indicating that Harden would be willing to relocate this summer. This comes months after Harden declined a three-year, $161 million extension. But, it’s important to note that Harden likely did that because he’s eligible for a 4-year, $227 million extension in June.
Of course, Morey’s career has been defined by trading for James Harden when it was apparent the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t going to pay him. After departing Houston two offseasons ago, Morey attempted to re-acquire the disgruntled Harden from the Rockets. Philadelphia and Brooklyn were the two teams Harden desired, and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta sent him to the Nets.