A major shakeup may be coming to the Eastern Conference ahead of next week's NBA trade deadline.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Friday the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden, and the Nets are open to a deal. The two teams likely will base the trade around a Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap.
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More from Charania:
With the NBA trade deadline just days away on Feb. 10, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the coming days and the Nets are believed to be open to discussing a deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic. There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package.
Still, there’s no urgency for Nets officials, who have had the steadfast belief that the current core, as is, has the means necessary for a championship. However, it’s believed that an opening exists should an offer elevate the team and make the roster more well-rounded as the franchise pursues a championship.
Harden was named among the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves, marking the 10th All-Star nod of his career. The 32-year-old guard is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 41.4% from the floor through 44 games.
Simmons hasn't played for the Sixers this season after requesting a trade and missing training camp last summer. In his five seasons with Philly, Simmons has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.
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The Nets (29-22) currently are ninth in the tightly-contested East standings while the 76ers (31-20) sit in third.