James Harden Traded to 76ers; Nets Get Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Picks, More

The Philadelphia 76ers completed a trade to acquire superstar guard James Harden and Paul Millsap from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported details of the deal ahead of Thursday's 2022 NBA trade deadline. As part of the trade, Harden is opting into his $47.3 million player option for next season, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. 

Harden arrived at the Nets last January as part of a blockbuster trade from the Houston Rockets. He'd spent eight-plus years with the Rockets after starting his NBA career with three seasons as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who selected him with the third overall pick in the 2009 draft.

The 32-year-old Los Angeles native made a seamless transition to the Nets, averaging 24.6 points, 10.9 assists, 8.5 rebounds and 2.7 threes while shooting 47.1 percent from the field in 36 games during the 2020-21 season.

He's added 22.5 points, 10.2 dimes and 8.0 boards per game in 44 appearances so far in the current campaign.

Brooklyn dealt with a steady stream of injury issues during the second half last year, including an extended absence from Harden because of a hamstring injury, which prevented the star-studded roster from reaching peak form ahead of the postseason.

The Nets advanced past the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs but were eliminated by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

They were restricted to mostly depth upgrades in the offseason, including the addition of longtime San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, but keeping the trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in place was expected to ensure they were among the NBA's top title contenders. Irving's absence to open the season because of New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate complicated matters, though.

Meanwhile, Durant signed a four-year, $194.2 million extension with Brooklyn in early August that starts next year and runs through the 2025-26 season.

Harden, who holds a player option in his contract for next season, didn't sign an extension with the Nets this past fall and is now on the move once again as he joins the Sixers. He'll reunite with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who previously built a roster around the standout guard with the Rockets.

It also brings an end to the Simmons saga for Philadelphia. The three-time All-Star has yet to play during the 2021-22 season while focusing on his mental health and awaiting a potential trade after his relationship with the team became frayed.

Harden will now try to chase down a title alongside Joel Embiid in Philly, while Brooklyn goes through another transition period as Simmons, Curry and Drummond join Durant and Irving.