On January 18, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season is in full swing. In a just-concluded East Focus game, the Nets lost 107-114 to the 76ers. In durant's absence, Harden today had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers on 5-of-12 shooting, with a plus-minus of only -18!
Earlier today, Marc Stein analyzed Harden's prospects and the 76ers' trading strategy against Simmons in a column. "Before losing to the Wizards, the 76ers had won 11 of their last 13 games, which led both the 76ers and Embiid to believe that the team could win without Simmons, which added a lot of confidence to them," he wrote.
Marc Stein then said a growing number of NBA executives believe the 76ers won't send Simmons before this season's trade deadline, and they'll do their best to complete a complicated deal this summer with the goal of bringing Harden to the 76ers and Sending Simmons to the Nets.
Despite the complexity of the trade-offs, Harden's refusal to extend the Nets' contract last summer has added a lot more noise in the league about his willingness to change teams. This voice has given the 76ers executives a lot of confidence that they will remain patient and continue to wait.
It has to be said that since joining the Nets, Harden has not yet received the championship trophy he craves. The Nets lost to the Bucks in the semifinals last season, and this season, they have faced Irving's inability to play at home and Durant's injury, and the team's prospects have become unknown.
On the 76ers side, although Simmons has not been able to play, the 76ers have always adopted a non-stop attitude, and they are not in a hurry to trade. According to previous reports, the 76ers have been eager to get the league's top 25 stars. Now that they have hopes of getting Harden, they definitely won't miss such an opportunity.
Maybe this summer, fans will really be able to see Simmons and Harden swap owners. If this were the case, the situation in the entire Eastern End would change dramatically again.