On February 11, Beijing time, before the NBA trade deadline, a big deal broke out, the Nets sent Harden, got Bency, Seth Curry, and an unprotected 2022 first-round draft pick and a protected 2027 first-round draft pick, and the Nets also sent Millsap in this transaction to get Zhuang Shen.
Some fans say that the Nets helped the 76ers solve a big trouble for Simmons, and it is indeed a bit of a loss to let harden go, and from these three aspects, the Nets are indeed the biggest winner.
1. Comprehensive improvement of defense and internal and external lines
The Nets got Simmons and Johnson in Harden's trade, although the projection ability of these two people is really not good, but Simmons's defensive ability is recognized, last season, Simmons can compete with Gobert for the title of the best defensive player, and the previous Nets have been criticized by fans for defensive problems, after Simmons arrived, can also get a good improvement.
The arrival of Zhuang Shen has also made the Nets' interior line have been improved to a certain extent, and has been using Ade as an inside line, although Ade's offensive ability can still be maintained, but the rebounding ability is indeed limited, and Zhuang Shen this season as a substitute for Embiid, in the average 18 minutes per game, averaged 8.8 rebounds per game, the innate rebounding ability, to a certain extent, also enhances the Nets' internal strength.
Finally, Curry Jr., Seth Curry can average 15 points per game this season, 40% of three-point shooting, and the Nets have not had a stable projection on the outside after Joe Harris was injured, and the arrival of Seth Curry has also helped the Nets improve the projection ability of the outside line to some extent.
2. Draft picks guarantee the future
In the last season, the Nets not only paid for Players such as Allen in order to get Harden, but also gave the Rockets a large number of draft picks, which made the Nets overdraft a lot in the draft picks.
And this time, the Nets not only got players such as Johnson and Seth Curry, but also got the 2022 first-round draft picks and the 2027 protected draft picks from the 76ers, at least in the future, the Nets are not too overdrawn, even if Durant and Irving leave, the Nets will not have nothing again.
3. The strength of plastic surgery is more balanced
In the past season, the Nets have only been able to play a good record, mostly relying on the play of the big three of Irving, Harden, and Durant, and after this trade, the Nets will be more integrated.
When the Big Three are on the court at the same time, Harden is more of a third offensive point, more often playing the role of the organization, and this, Simmons's organizational ability can be a good replacement for Harden, and Simmons' defense is much stronger than Harden, and in the playoffs, he can use defense to drive the team's offense.
On the outside, Seth Curry can also provide a very big threat to the Nets, and the inside line has Chuang Shen and Ade, such a Nets team, in the interior and exterior, offense and defense are very balanced, and will not rely too much on the attack of the Big Three to win like last season, such a Nets team, but also to Irving and Durant in the game more rest time.
From these three points of view. The Nets' operation was indeed very worthwhile, and they just gave up a Harden and the elderly Millsap, and the nets really didn't lose money on this deal.