The rumors connecting James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers have been swirling all week.
And now speaking on a Yahoo Sports NBA podcast with Chris Haynes, Vince Goodwill says that he believes the Brooklyn Nets have an offer on the table from the Philadelphia 76ers that includes both Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey.
The offer part is not all that surprising, but the Maxey part is a bit of an eye opener. While Harden is one of the league's premiere scorers, his numbers have been down a bit this season and he is turning 33-years-old this August.
A combination of Joel Embiid and Harden would certainly push the 76ers toward elite NBA contender, but giving up the 21-year-old ascending Maxey---who has become very close with Embiid---would sting a bit.
Maxey, in just his second NBA season, is averaging 16.5 points and 4.6 assists in 35.4 minutes per game while shooting 46.3 FG% / 40.7 3P% / 86.7 FT%.
On the other hand, getting Harden, Maxey, and Seth Curry all on the court together might be tricky.
The Nets are reportedly not going to trade Harden before the February 10th NBA Trade Deadline, poised to attempt a championship run with their current big three. However, Harden has a player option after the season and is expected to opt to become an unrestricted free-agent, opening up the possibility of a potential sign-and-trade with Philadelphia in the offseason.
"I don't know about reports," Harden said on Tuesday when asked about the reports. "If you didn't hear it from me, then it's reports. I'm frustrated because I want to win, and I'm a competitor. It's pretty simple."
Current 76ers general manager Darly Morey was the GM of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020 before becoming the 76ers' president of basketball operations and famously acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster bringing him to Houston and revitalizing the franchise.
Even last season before Simmons requested a trade, when Harden was still a member of the Rockets, there was widespread speculation that the Sixers were heavily trying to trade Simmons for Harden, but ultimately the Brooklyn Nets landed the superstar guard.
Simmons, 25, has not played a game for the Sixers this season, as he continues to seek a trade. Simmons is a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA first team defender. He signed a five-year contract worth $170 million in 2019. He has already made approximate $90 million and he is due around another $114 million over the next three seasons, according to spotrac.com.
