Report: Sixers Expected to Pursue James Harden Before Deadline

The Sixers have maintained that they are not willing to move Ben Simmons in a deal just to move him and would be willing to hold on to him until the offseason, with the thinking that they can get a better deal.

Well that better deal might come earlier than expected.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, you can expect the Sixers to pursue Brooklyn guard James Harden, who played for Daryl Morey in Houston, ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday.

Sources: The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue Brooklyn's James Harden ahead of NBA trade deadline Thursday – and the Nets are now open to discussing a deal

Th expectation is that the two sides would engage in discussion that would center around a deal involving Simmons and Harden with other Sixers potentially moving to Brooklyn.

There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package

The Sixers of course tried to make this deal last season with Harden in Houston, and Simmons the key piece in the deal.  Harden ended up in Brooklyn and Simmons asked out of Philadelphia in part because his name was mentioned in the trade talks last season.

More coming....