The Sixers and Rockets were two of the best teams in basketball last season, but injuries to key players could cause irreparable damage to both franchises. This is a fluid situation as new information comes out each day, so stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
The “where is ben simmons from” is a question that has been asked by many people. Ben Simmons and James Harden are hurtling down a path that could irreparably damage the NBA.
The NBA world is fascinated with a hypothetical swap of the two players, as James Harden continues to tank as hard as he can to leave the Brooklyn Nets and Ben Simmons refuses to do anything with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Those enticing names, as well as the possibility of a game-changing deal, are obviously all the rage.
But there’s another side to the tale – one that’s being brushed under the rug for the time being, but one that has the potential to drastically alter the NBA’s landscape.
Both James Harden and Ben Simmons are pleading with their teams to move them.
The Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden takes a shot against the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. Getty Images/Tim Nwachukwu
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Feb. 9 that the Sixers and Nets are “definitely” in trade negotiations centered on the two superstars. The possibility of an NBA uber-blockbuster is becoming more and more likely as the Feb. 10 deadline approaches.
“I can’t tell you how badly James Harden wants this,” Windhorst said regarding Harden. His recent activities have posed a serious danger to the Nets.”
He also said that the former Rockets star (more on that later) “is screaming in every way he possibly can, ‘I don’t want to be here, get me out of here,’” and that he “is shouting in every way he possibly can, ‘I don’t want to be here, get me out of here.”
There’s no way to be more direct about The Beard’s decision-making process than this. Except for the fact that he was missing games due to a hamstring ailment prior to this report. This happened after he missed a few of games due to a hand strain in his non-shooting hand.
In a defeat to the Sacramento Kings, he also scored four points while committing six turnovers (yes, those Sacramento Kings). In January, Bleacher Report published an article on the 32-year-dissatisfaction old’s with living in Brooklyn, with Irving, Kyrie’s part-time status, and with head coach Steve Nash’s rotations.
So, before “screaming” about wanting out, he gave a few signals.
When it became evident that Simmons would not play for the 76ers, the drama died down. Daryl Morey (Harden’s previous GM in Houston) took a firm stand against trading the former franchise point guard for anything he regarded to be of lesser value.
But it was Ben’s drama that governed the league all summer and into the start of the season, until we were all sick of the impasse and Joel Embiid played as if (and proclaimed as if) he didn’t need Simmons in the first place.
And now we’ve arrived.
The NBA is on a dark, maybe dooming road as a result of this affair.
This isn’t even Harden’s first trip around the block. The parallels between what he’s doing today and how he got out of Houston are nearly uncanny.
According to an ESPN piece from 2021 chronicling The Beard’s departure from Houston, Morey finally departed the Rockets, citing odd worries about having to “keep James pleased.”
Since 2011, here is a list of NBA superstars who have sought a trade (that we know about) and received it:
- Paul George is a well-known figure in the (twice)
- Carmelo Anthony is a basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles
- Irving, Kyrie
- Anthony Davis is a professional basketball player. is a professional basketball player.
- Allow to harden (only once, so far)
- Chris Paul is a musician from the United States (twice)
- Anthony Davis is a professional basketball player. is a professional basketball player.
- Leonard, Kawhi
- Butler, Jimmy
Each was an All-NBA player who was dissatisfied with his status, openly demanded his release, and was eventually moved. Another All-NBA player, Simmons, is expected to be added to the roster at some time.
It’s the age of player control. That seemed like a wonderful idea even a few years ago. Parts of it remain true, but the rest has gone too far.
Some of these players even had the audacity to inform their present teams of their impending move. Davis and his team informed the New Orleans Pelicans that he would be traveling to Los Angeles to play alongside LeBron James and the Lakers, for example, and that it was a done deal.
After that, we pushed into Harden-Houston territory, landing him in Brooklyn. The 2017-18 NBA MVP wasn’t the first player to make a big fuss before being dealt (see Jimmy Butler, above), but he took it to a new level.
Then there was the Simmons-Philadelphia scenario. We’ve arrived in Harden-Brooklyn territory. And it’s at this point that the whole player-empowerment idea goes totally off the rails.
Where does it all come to an end?
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden} html,bodyheight:100% img,spanposition:absolute;width:100% ;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyhe spanheight:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow
To recap: We’re incessantly discussing a transaction that involves one superstar (Simmons) being exchanged for another superstar who has had public temper tantrums to get out of not one, but two separate organizations.
Is it intended to go this far with “player empowerment”? When he’s legally bound to play for the Philadelphia 76ers for four more seasons, it’s supposed to be appropriate for Simmons to simply leave and go home and refuse to play?
And it’s supposed to be OK to see Harden do this to the Nets after he did the same thing to another team?
This isn’t even the argument that “these guys are professional athletes, therefore they should play for free and not complain.” Both of these athletes put forth a lot of effort to achieve the pinnacle of their profession, and they deserve to be compensated appropriately. It’s also not unreasonable for them to desire a voice in whose franchise they represent.
But it’s all gotten out of hand. Neither player deserves to receive what they want based on how they’ve behaved in circumstances they didn’t choose (Harden through trade, Simmons via contract extension). And if you think it sounds like something you’d say to a child, you’re right. Harden and Simmons are behaving like two-year-olds who aren’t getting what they want and are throwing a tantrum until they get it.
What are our options now? What’s the next logical step in the progression of player autonomy? What is the ultimate goal? What effect does all of this have on the NBA?
The answers to those questions are still unknown, but it’s becoming more evident that the NBA is on a road from which it may not be able to recover.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.
After Joel Embiid’s latest scathing comments, Daryl Morey would be foolish not to trade Ben Simmons.
Related Tags
- who does james harden play for
- james harden contract nets
- james harden trade details
