Daryl Morey has not given up on the idea of James Harden in a Sixers jersey, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
Both the Nets and the Sixers are dealing with respective tumultuous situations. In Philadelphia, after months of holding out and demanding a trade, Ben Simmons reported to the team's facility on Monday evening, reportedly, without notifying anyone.
In Brooklyn, PG Kyrie Irving has refused to get a COVID-19 vaccination disallowing him from participating in home games. The Nets have responded with a statement saying, "Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant."
Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN's First Take that the Nets did the right thing, which led him to his nugget about Morey pursuing Harden.
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Morey, who was the GM of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020 before becoming the 76ers' president of basketball operations, famously acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster bringing him to Houston and revitalizing the franchise.
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This past offseason there were reports that Morey and the Sixers were extremely close to dealing Simmons for Harden, but ultimately "The Beard" ended up in Brooklyn with Irving and Kevin Durant, but injuries derailed their postseason run and they were eliminated by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Now, with Simmons demanding a trade and the situation continuing to get uglier—combined with the Irving COVID-19 situation—maybe a new door is open to bring the 32-year-old future Hall Of Famer to Philadelphia to pair with 2020-21 MVP runner up in Joel Embiid.
To complicate matters even further, there have been previous reports/rumors suggesting the Nets and Sixers could swap Irving for Simmons. Just a few weeks ago, however, Smith reported that Kevin Durant was not willing to let the Nets trade Irving for Simmons.
"Kyrie could have ended up in Philly," Smith told First Take co-host Kendrick Perkins back in September. "Sean Marks couldn't do that because KD wasn't having it. KD wasn't having it. KD was like, 'Kyrie ain't going no damn place.'"