Funny enough, despite the Brooklyn Nets' formation of an invincible super team, their big three have barely played together, and one of their superstars is reportedly open to moving on (trades and change teams). According to the latest report from NBA well-known journalist Mark Stein today, the Philadelphia 76 team has set its sights on the James Harden deal, and sources believe the 76ers will explore a first-and-later trade with Ben Simmons as a chip in the offseason, although the probability of a blockbuster deal like this actually happening is low, but Harden may be open to it. Stein also added that news of Harden's possible departure this summer has spread widely across the league, and Harden previously turned down the Nets' contract extension in March last year.
From 2012 to 2020, someone in the 76ers management and Harden had a successful relationship, and the two are said to still maintain a friendly relationship, when someone left the Houston Rockets to join the 76ers management, they tried to get Harden from the Rockets through a trade, so there have been rumors for a long time that he still wants to find a way to achieve this.
Harden has a $47 million player option next season, and it's no surprise that he'll certainly turn down that player option, and instead demand could be the last long contract of his career. The 32-year-old averaged 22.7 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds per game in the Nets' second season, and while the Nets are in the lead in the East, not many are optimistic that they will win the championship.
There is too much uncertainty about this team, with star Kevin Durant recently suffering injuries and the fact that he and Harden are in the top four in the league, and Harden has complained on several occasions that he is too tired. In addition, although Kyrie Irving has recently returned to the team, he still said that he will not change his original intention of not wanting to be vaccinated against covid-19 because of Durant's injury, so he is also unlikely to participate in the Nets' home game, which has brought great uncertainty to the Nets in the short and long term. While the 76ers' idea of using Simmons as a bargaining chip to trade Harden is a bit wishful thinking, nothing is impossible in today's NBA, especially when Harden himself is obsessed.