Steve Nash 'Not Surprised' Nets Traded James Harden to 76ers for Ben Simmons

The Brooklyn Nets traded James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks. Apparently, head coach Steve Nash wasn't surprised by the move. 

"I'm not surprised," Nash told reporters following Thursday's 113-112 loss to the Washington Wizards. "As the hours ticked by today, it seemed more apparent. You're never surprised, but when I was asked those questions, there was no questions between the two teams."

Nash's comments come after he repeated over the last week that he believed Harden would not be traded. He even said Thursday morning that his stance hadn't changed, but obviously something shifted within the organization. 

When asked by reporters what had changed, Nash responded, "You'd have to ask Sean [Marks] that." Nash was also asked why the franchise felt comfortable in acquiring Simmons, who hasn't played in nearly one year, and he again pointed to Marks. 

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported last month that Harden had problems with Nash's "fluid rotations." In addition, he reported the veteran did not enjoy living in Brooklyn and had been frustrated by Kyrie Irving's inability to play in home games because he refuses to comply with New York City's vaccination mandate for indoor arenas. Irving remains unvaccinated. 

Nash addressed rumors of Harden being unhappy in Brooklyn on Thursday, telling reporters he had never had a conversation about that topic with the three-time scoring champion. He added that he reached out to him after the trade to wish him well moving forward. 

The Sixers have been in pursuit of Harden for some time now. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Feb. 6 that the franchise was expected to pursue the 32-year-old at the trade deadline. 

Harden then expressed interest in joining the 76ers but didn't want to make a formal request out of fear of possible backlash for requesting a trade for the second straight season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Even if Harden wasn't traded at Thursday's deadline, he likely would have declined his player option for the 2022-23 season and explored his options over the summer. However, he has since opted in to his player option worth more than $47 million to remain in Philadelphia, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Harden should be a good fit in Philly alongside Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle. While he's had a down year by his standards, he's still averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from deep. His 22.5 points per game now ranks second on the Sixers behind Embiid. 

The 76ers are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-22 record. The addition of Harden should only improve the team and put it in better position to compete for the top spot in the East.