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Re-grading last year’s monumental Harden-Simmons trade

By Michael Shearer

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 25: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets gestures during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 25: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets gestures during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – FEBRUARY 06: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers strips the ball from James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – FEBRUARY 06: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers strips the ball from James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /

Last year, it was a was a win-win, but a year later, there’s a clear winner

When the trade was announced, every NBA fan’s first feeling was relief. Gone (we thought) was the endless speculation about what Ben Simmons would do. Instead, we had two superstars exchanging places and arguably making both teams better. The Nets would receive a defensive stopper who would get the ball to new teammates like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and push the pace in transition, while the 76ers would receive the pick-and-roll maestro and sharpshooting guard they needed to unlock Joel Embiid.

The world (or, at least, neutral NBA fans) desperately prayed for a playoff matchup between these two teams fully loaded for bear in what would have been an immediate referendum on the trade.

Instead, we had a two-way disappointment. Simmons came to Brooklyn and never played a game, as he required back surgery that ended his season. Kyrie, after one big game, disappointed in the playoffs, and Durant had to fight through constant double-teams as the Nets lost to the Celtics in Round 1 in the most closely-contested sweep in NBA history. The 76ers, meanwhile, struggled initially against the Raptors in the opening round before falling to the Heat in the following series where Harden shrank yet again. A bitter Embiid was left grumbling after the playoffs about the Sixers lacking “toughness.”

2023, of course, has been a different story. The Sixers bulked up in the offseason, adding PJ Tucker (the dictionary definition of “toughness”) and De’Anthony Melton, among others. They look like a championship contender again. Despite ripping off 18 wins in 20 games at one point, the Nets have been forced to deal away another star, Kyrie Irving. Although Brooklyn gained depth, they have taken a step down in the eyes of most.

So with that out of the way, let’s re-grade.

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