Just earlier today, news broke from the NBA that the Nets had completed a deal with the 76ers. The Nets sent James Harden, Paul Millsap, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, an unprotected 2022 first-round pick and a 2027 protected first-round pick.
In fact, the news about Harden's trade has been reported a few weeks ago, and most of the news at that time was mainly in the offseason, but no one would have thought that Harden's trade with Ben Simmons would happen so quickly. In fact, judging from the Nets' performance this season, Harden's departure from the team seems to have long been a matter of certainty, it is only a matter of time.
Before the deal, the Nets had just won 29 games in the past two-thirds of the schedule, conceded 25 games, and recently had a nine-game losing streak this season, and after losing to the Wizards this morning, the Nets had their 10-game losing streak this season. Since Durant was injured, the Nets' results can be said to have plummeted, winning only 3 of them in 14 games, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Nets do not have Durant, and their competitiveness can only hover up and down in the playoffs. According to the current situation, if such a bad state continues, the Nets are likely to not even enter the playoffs this season.
Last season, Harden turned down the Rockets' big contract and chose to come to Brooklyn to join Forces Durant and Irving. In a season and a half in Brooklyn, Harden played in 80 games, averaging 23.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. Compared to Durant and Irving, Harden is the player who came late and played the most. In this season and a half of the Nets, Durant, Irving and Harden have played only 16 games together, and the Big Three are just vain.
Now, because of Durant's injury and Irving's status as a part-time player, the Nets' current situation is extremely unstable, and in just one and a half months, the Nets have fallen from the first place in the East to the eighth place in the East, and it is absolutely unrealistic for such a team to say that it is a championship-winning team. In the Nets, Durant and Irving have a championship ring, but Harden does not, and now Harden needs a championship ring, but the current situation of the Nets really makes Harden unable to see the hope of winning the championship, so it is reasonable to choose to leave.
It is most appropriate to say that they are the saddest big three in the history of the NBA, and everyone knows that the Nets are just playing under the guise of the big three, and in fact, the big three really play together for very little time. Durant and Irving have championships, and even if the Nets are bad, they will not be disappointed like Harden, but Harden is on his way to the championship.
The 76ers are currently fifth in the East with a record of 32 wins and 22 losses, and with the addition of James Harden, perhaps their rankings can continue to chase up. Despite Harden's serious decline this season, Harden is still the highest level of player in the NBA. Harden + Embiid, the two most skilled players in the free throws, came together and looked forward to their ability to play their due strength in the next game.