Ben Simmons saga comes full circle for 76ers, who get a better fit alongside Joel Embiid in James Harden

Simmons was unhappy that Philadelphia entertained the idea of trading him for Harden over a year ago

The fact that the Philadelphia 76ers ended up trading Ben Simmons for James Harden is pretty fitting, given that Simmons' original unhappiness with the Sixers stemmed from when he was first mentioned in trade rumors for Harden early last year. 

While the fallout from Simmons' underwhelming performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs last season may have been the straw that broke the camel's back when it comes to the relationship between Simmons and the Sixers, the fact that Philadelphia's front office entertained the idea of trading the All-Star forward for Harden last January caused the initial fissures in the foundation -- even though Simmons said all the right things publicly at the time.

"I mean, this a business," Simmons said then. "Things like that happen. Only thing I can control is how I approach my work, the games and my day-to-day thing. So, you know, I'm just trying to be professional and to do the right thing and help my team get wins."  

A whole lot has transpired in the year-plus since Simmons made those comments, and the whole situation came full circle when the Sixers (finally) traded Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first-round picks to Brooklyn for Harden and Paul Millsap prior to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. The split was long overdue and will be beneficial for both sides. In Brooklyn, Simmons will have a chance to rejuvenate his career, while the Sixers can move forward with their new star duo of Joel Embiid and Harden.

Simmons projects to be an excellent fit alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, as his perimeter defense, rebounding and playmaking will all address direct needs for the Nets. He'll be able to focus on defense and playmaking and let those guys handle the bulk of the scoring load. In Philadelphia, Harden projects to be a much better fit alongside Embiid than Simmons ever was, and his ability to generate offense from the perimeter is something that the Sixers have desperately needed. 

Embiid and Simmons tried to make it work, but they were never ideal on-court complements, due largely to Simmons' inability to space the floor. Since he isn't a threat as a shooter, Simmons was often relegated to playing around the paint with the Sixers when he didn't have the ball in his hands -- the same area where Embiid is at his best. This became especially problematic during postseason play, as opposing defenses could clog the paint and make things even tougher for Embiid.

That won't be an issue with Harden, who is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters that the league has ever seen. Harden will generate much more space for Embiid than Simmons ever did, and he will also be a better pick-and-roll partner. Harden is lethal in that action, and in half-court sets in general, due to his ability to pass, drive and shoot, all at a high level. If executed properly, the pick-and-roll between Embiid and Harden should be nearly unstoppable. If defenses pack the paint against Embiid now, Harden will be able to make them pay from the perimeter. 

Plus, the Sixers have needed a high-level perimeter player capable of generating his own offense since they lost Jimmy Butler in free agency in 2019. Harden is the definition of a "go get us a basket" guy -- the type of guy you give the ball to in the closing seconds of a close game and tell to make something happen. Harden will take a lot of the pressure off of Embiid on the offensive end of the floor, and the presence of another elite scorer out on the floor should theoretically make the Sixers much more difficult to guard. 

Following the trade, the Sixers now have a better-balanced roster that includes the most potent inside-outside duo in the entire NBA. Success isn't guaranteed though. Chemistry is a question, as it always is when star players are paired together. Both players thrive as high-volume scorers, so both will have to sacrifice in order for the new-look Sixers to reach their potential as a team. Plus, both will have to stay healthy for Philly to make a real run. If they can both check both of those boxes, the Sixers will be extremely dangerous. There's a lot of work ahead for the league's latest star duo, but the potential is tantalizing.