The Philadelphia 76ers were considered the favorites to land superstar guard James Harden as soon as he made his trade request to the Houston Rockets early in the offseason. But despite making a strong push, Philly was left empty-handed as the Rockets decided to make a deal with Brooklyn Nets.
According to NBA reporter Keith Pompey, Harden ending up in Brooklyn came as a shock to the 76ers as they believed they had a “done deal” for the player. In a recent piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pompey wrote that the team offered All-Star Ben Simmons and second-year player Matisse Thybulle to the Rockets and were convinced the package would be accepted.
But Houston reportedly never responded to Philly’s offer and instead opted for a four-team trade that landed them a haul of picks and All-Star Victor Oladipo for Harden.
While it may be surprising, the 76ers’ willingness to part ways with Simmons isn’t hard to believe. The team’s new president of basketball operation Daryl Morey is a big fan of Harden’s game and is known to make risky moves if they could possibly make his team better.
What isn’t surprising is the Rockets’ decision to go with the Nets’ offer. Many people assumed that the organization still has hard feelings towards Morey for his departure and that owner Tilman Fertitta wouldn’t allow the team’s former general manager and star player to reunite elsewhere.
