76ers were so sure of James Harden deal that Ben Simmons was told to expect a trade, per report

The Philadelphia 76ers got here up brief within the James Harden sweepstakes, however it wasn’t for lack of placing their greatest card on the desk. That card, after all, was Ben Simmons. There have been a pair of experiences as to why the Rockets in the end shunned the Sixers’ package deal in favor of the four-team deal that despatched Harden to Brooklyn. 

Initially, it was reported that the Sixers provided a package deal centered on Simmons, Matisse Thybulle and draft compensation, however wouldn’t go as far as to incorporate rookie Tyrese Maxey, whom Houston wished. Maxey appears to be like like a pleasant younger participant, however it’s a stretch to consider the Sixers would actually think about a late-first-round decide who’s performed 13 profession video games a bridge too far with an opportunity to amass James Harden and develop into an instantaneous, and doubtless top-tier, title contender. 

The second report is extra plausible, which is that Rockets proprietor Tilman Fertitta was adamant he wasn’t going to make a trade with his former GM Daryl Morey, who after all is now operating the Sixers. 

This, if true, was silly for Fertitta to permit private grievances impact his determination making concerning a deal that may outline his franchise for the following decade, however it makes much more sense, notably as now one other report has been dropped at gentle: That the Sixers, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, had been so sure they’d a deal for Harden achieved that Simmons was knowledgeable by his agent on Wednesday to principally begin packing his luggage. 

From Pompey:

However the Sixers thought they’d a deal for Harden achieved, based on sources. The staff will not come out and say it, however Morey pushed exhausting to reunite with the 2018 MVP. Simmons and Thybulle had been even knowledgeable by their brokers on Wednesday of an anticipated commerce.

You possibly can think about the timeline going like this: New Rockets GM Rafael Stone’s talks with Brooklyn and Philadelphia boil all the way down to determination time, at which level he realizes the Nets‘ provide, whereas wealthy in draft fairness, lacks the franchise-cornerstone piece that the Sixers can provide in Simmons. He is leaning closely towards Philly, strongly sufficient for phrase to trickle all the way down to Simmons, at which level Fertitta steps in and kills the deal. 

Subsequent factor , Harden goes to Brooklyn. 

The maths provides up right here as a result of had Fertitta made it recognized to Stone from the beginning, explicitly, {that a} take care of the Sixers was not going to occur, whereas Stone nonetheless might’ve, and nearly definitely would’ve, stored negotiations with Philly open for leverage towards the Nets, it by no means would’ve gone so far as Simmons being advised to anticipate a commerce. 

No right-thinking GM — notably one getting his first shot at operating his personal membership with presumably no real interest in torching his credibility with entrance places of work, gamers and brokers all through the league — would knowingly deceive folks to that size. Extra possible, Stone believed he had the inexperienced gentle to make the perfect deal doable, acquired set to make that deal, then had the plug pulled by his proprietor. 

If Pompey’s reporting is correct (there isn’t any cause to suppose it is not; he is a extremely reliable reporter who has been embedded with that staff and within the NBA for years), the Sixers will not be capable of inform Simmons within the aftermath of all this that he was by no means going to be traded simply to avoid wasting face with a participant they now nonetheless make use of. His agent was advised. Simmons acquired the information to anticipate a commerce. The cat was, and is, out of the bag. 

To Simmons’ credit score, he was skilled all through the rumor phases of this negotiation and has stated all the correct issues within the aftermath. He was reportedly “ecstatic” to stay with the Sixers, and he is since known as these commerce talks a part of the enterprise and that he can solely fear about what’s in his management, which is coming to work day by day and being the perfect participant and teammate he may be. It is straight out of the PR handbook, and good for Simmons. He acquired his want to stick with the Sixers, it appears, as a result of Stone didn’t get his want in buying and selling for him.