The Houston Rockets are willing to offer the Philadelphia 76ers James Harden in exchange for Ben Simmons and 3 first-round picks according to Yaron Weitzman. The trade would cement Joel Embiid as the 76ers franchise player over Simmons and send the former MVP Harden to join him. The trade would also make clear that the Rockets are in full rebuild mode, given the number of picks they have acquired from trading both Harden and Westbrook. The 76ers have previously stated that they are unwilling to part with Simmons despite being able to acquire a former MVP in Harden.
Re: Sixers-Harden negotiations: I'm told the Rockets have asked the Sixers for 3 first round picks in addition to Ben Simmons. As many others have reported, the Sixers so far have been unwilling to include Simmons in any proposals.
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) December 14, 2020
Simmons missed the 2020 playoffs due to injury, leading to the 76ers being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round. Simmons has struggled with consistency in the playoffs in previous seasons. Harden has struggled with post-season success as well, but on a more team level, leading the Rockets to only two Western Conference Finals appearances in his 8 seasons with the franchise since joining in 2012. The two players provide a vastly different set of skills: Harden is a do-it-all scorer with a reliable 3-point shot, Simmons rarely even attempts shot from behind the arc and is much more geared to distributing the ball or finishing at the rim. If this trade goes through Harden would provide some much-needed floor spacing for the 76ers who have struggled behind the arc in the playoffs.
The mounting pressure of Harden’s discontent with his situation in Houston might make the Rockets want to pull the trigger on a trade sooner rather than later. Harden has yet to practice with Houston due to COVID protocols after traveling to Atlanta and Las Vegas for social engagements rather than participating in training camp. Wherever Harden goes, the trade will shake up the league.
