Important factors in Sixers’ potential James Harden pursuit: Price
Beyond the actual monetary price (again, $200.1 million if the Sixers can offload Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris without taking back extra salary…), the Sixers will have to give up trade assets to acquire Harden if he does decide Philly is the place for him. The key is any such trade, of course, is Ben Simmons.
It feels less likely by the day that Simmons will get dealt at the Feb. 10 trade deadline, with Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office clearly focused on the summer (and Harden). That being said, Simmons would form the foundation of any Harden sign-and-trade package. If Simmons does get swapped for the likes of Tyrese Haliburton or John Collins, then that player would probably serve as the trade centerpiece (along with whatever picks/young talent comes back too).
Morey already offered Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, and two first-round picks for Harden last season. One has to expect he’s willing to pay a similar price in the summer, even with Harden’s age and health becoming more of a hot-button topic. He’s still one of the 10 best players on the planet, and if the Sixers don’t spend, other teams would gladly throw the kitchen sink at Harden to get him out of Brooklyn.
But why would Morey have to spend so much in a sign-and-trade, the Nets won’t have leverage? On the surface, yes — Brooklyn will not have much leverage if Harden makes a firm commitment to leave. The Sixers could hypothetically get away with Simmons and the extra salary to match (probably Danny Green’s $10 million team option). That said, the Nets will have natural hesitance to facilitate Harden’s departure to an opponent in the same conference, not to mention the same division. If the Nets are going to help pair Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Sixers will have to make it worth their while. That’s where names like Thybulle, Seth Curry, and even Tyrese Maxey enter the conversation.
Harden is 32 years old and has performed well below his normal standards this season. However, he’s still averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 10.1 assists, which places him above of all but a handful of NBA players. Even a declining Harden could help steer Embiid and company to a championship. The Sixers have a responsibility to maximize Embiid’s prime, and no one of comparable talent is expected to be even remotely attainable in the near future. Harden is one of the best offensive guards in NBA history.