By Larry Rupp
The NBA Trade deadline rarely features the magnitude of deals that went down on February 10. Organizations at the bottom of the standings sent star players away and contenders aiming to win a title added some much needed depth. To take things even further, let’s dive into the one deal that truly impacted the championship odds of those teams involved.
James Harden To the Philadelphia 76ers
Of course, the NBA world was shaken to its core when the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and a few draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap. It’s not often that a single deal includes a 10-time All-Star on one side and an All-NBA Defender on the other, with both players still in their prime.
Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey really went all in here. Just minutes after the trade was finalized, the 76ers’ odds to win the NBA Championship jumped from +1300 to +700, according to FoxBet. That massive change has everything to do with what Harden brings to the table on a nightly basis. When the 32-year-old sharpshooter buys into a team, he is capable of taking over on the offensive side of the ball. Keep in mind Harden has already dropped 50 points in a game 23 times in his career, which is the fourth-highest total in NBA history.
The dynamic playmaker now joints MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid in what is one of the best one-two punches in basketball. Yes, the Sixers gave up some depth in order to acquire Harden, but that shouldn’t matter. Guard Tyrese Maxey is balling out during his second professional season and Philadelphia can always find a backup big man in the buyout market. This is the type of move 76ers fans have been waiting for ever since Ben Simmons decided he was not going to suit up for the team’s games anymore. Whether or not it results in the franchise’s first title since 1983 remains to be seen.
THE BEARD IS HERE.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 11, 2022
welcome to Philly, @JHarden13! pic.twitter.com/SxzrziHgCT
Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets
Just because Harden is gone does not mean that the Nets did not receive a massive package in return, though. Simmons has proven that he is one of the most unique talents in the NBA when fully healthy and prepared to play. After all, he is only 25 years old and has already posted 32 triple-doubles. His power to drive to the rim or make an amazing no-look pass makes it tough for anyone to guard him on offense. Meanwhile, Simmons has also made the NBA All-Defensive First Team thanks to his ability to guard any position on the floor.
However, he hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since June and this new group of players is going to take time to gel. That is likely why Brooklyn’s title odds fell from +300 to +370 once the deal was complete. The Nets’ future is cloudy and there’s a possibility that they cannot turn things around in time to grab a top-six seed in the standings. If that turns out to be the case, they would be stuck in the play-in tournament for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It’s worth noting that head coach Steve Nash’s squad still owns the best odds in the NBA. Oddsmakers are certainly banking on Kevin Durant returning to full health, Kyrie Irving figuring out his vaccination issues and Simmons quickly shaking off the rust. Nets fans have to be hoping this big three turns out better than the last given Durant, Irving and Harden played only 16 games together before being split up. It’ll be interesting to see if Brooklyn can live up to the hype.
Ben in BKLYN 😤 pic.twitter.com/ei99wf7uXM
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 11, 2022
Picture Credit: Allproreels.com
