Will the Sixers start 2021 off with a blockbuster trade?
Speaking on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, ESPN NBA Reporter Tim MacMahon said that when it came to James Harden and where he could end up, the Sixers continue to make the most sense.
Here is what MacMahon, who is one of the most plugged in reporters when it comes to the rockets, had to say about the current situation between the Sixers and Rockets:
“I keep coming back to Philly for a few reasons. Obviously, the familiarity between (Daryl) Morey and Harden. We know how much Morey loves James Harden. I think the bigger reason is the simple fact that it is a lot easier to construct a deal with the 76ers. Obviously Ben Simmons is the center piece. They have some intriguing young players on the roster that could fill in for picks. I think that of the players that are possibilities, Ben Simmons is clearly the best potential centerpiece that the Rockets could get in a deal, and I think Philly has the Tyrese Maxey, (Matisse) Thybulle, Shake Milton. Before we even get to talking about picks, I think they have a lot of complimentary young assets that would be of great interest to the Rockets.”
The Sixers potentially offering up Simmons is nothing new. There have been multiple rumors that he would be the center piece in any trade and the team is willing to move him. The team has denied those reports and speaking last month on SportsRadio 94WIP, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he was excited to see Simmons play with Joel Embiid.
"Yeah, I do think this is a team that can contend," Morey said. "I like that, teams are—feels like we're coming from the underdog part of it. You don't have to go back about one year—towards the end of the season the Sixers were forecasted to be right there with Milwaukee in the East and everyone obviously did not play quite as well as that. I prefer to be in this spot, where everyone thinks we're like the sixth best team in the East and we'll shock people. So, I'm excited for that.”
Still, if the Sixers do land Harden, Simmons will almost certainly be involved.
What is interesting about this latest report is the potential inclusion of Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey, since he was the team’s 2020 first-round pick, can’t be traded until January 1st, 2021. That means if the Rockets are indeed interested in Simmons plus young players, and the Sixers are willing to move Simmons, the January 1st deadline could be the hold up in a deal being done.
With 2020 soon to be in the rearview mirror, however, Maxey will be eligible to be traded starting Friday — and the deal many in Philadelphia have been waiting for could soon be completed.
