James Harden traded to 76ers: Breaking down the Fantasy impact of Harden-Ben Simmons deal
We break down the potential Fantasy impact of James Harden joining the 76ers
By
Ameer Tyree
•
5 min read
The biggest trade of the 2021-22 season is being finalized. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Brooklyn Nets are sending James Harden, and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two future first-round picks. The Beard is rumored to have become too fed up with the Nets not living up to their potential just one season after forcing his way out of Houston. Now he'll join MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid in hopes of improving his chances at winning an NBA title.
Harden's long been one of the NBA's most impactful Fantasy assets, and now he'll join a team run by the man who constructed the Rockets' uber-efficient offense. Let's take a look at how his reunion with Daryl Morey could affect the production of the players involved.
James Harden
It took Harden a little while to recover from the hamstring injury that ended his first playoff run with Brooklyn, but he's put up phenomenal numbers since his Christmas Day triple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers. He's averaged 24.9 points, 10.9 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game since that contest. His shooting splits (42.5-32.5-84.8) in the 18 games he's played since then could use some work, but playing with the league's most dominant post forces could help Harden bounce back.
Embiid is virtually impossible to stop with one player, so Harden should benefit from getting more open looks as a spot-up shooter and cutter. According to NBA.com, 49 percent of his shot attempts have faced tight defense. Cutting down on that number with Embiid's gravity could help Harden score with more frequency and efficiency. Harden averaged 29 points, 7.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game when Morey was Houston's general manager. His scoring might not reach that mark, but it's reasonable to expect a bump in points per game with more room to operate. Harden should easily be the top-ranked shooting guard in points leagues and could very well make a run at the top point guard spot if healthy.
Joel Embiid
Embiid's dominance has known no bounds this year. The superstar big man is averaging a league-high 29.4 points to go along with 10.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. The 76ers get better by bringing in a co-star for the big man, but he has less to gain than his new teammate. Embiid's mix of size, strength, and skill helps him avoid needing a set-up man on offense. He's also not the traditionally athletic lob threat Harden has become accustomed to in recent years.
The Process averaged 25.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in 207 career appearances alongside Simmons. His averages in all three categories (25.3, 10.2, 3.0) were only slightly lower in the 22 games he played with the jumbo-sized guard. Embiid should continue getting basically whatever look he wants moving forward, and only Nikola Jokic should be able to match his Fantasy production in the back half of the season.
Tobias Harris
Harris has thrived as Philly's second-best scoring option for most of the season and could comfortably finish as a top-10 forward at the three or four. He'll likely be relegated to the third option with Harden coming to town, though. He's averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists since his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Harris' scoring could wane at times, but he'll still have plenty of value as a rebounder and defender.
Philly likely won't depend on Charles Bassey too much as Embiid's backup center, so Harris could need to pick up some slack as one of his team's longer frontcourt players. Harris averaged 8.2 rebounds in the five games he played without Drummond available this year and could be a decent small-ball five when Embiid needs a breather. Paul Millsap hasn't played meaningful basketball in a while and could play spot minutes here and there.
Tyrese Maxey
Maxey has looked like the 76ers' second-best player in spurts this season but will likely see his Fantasy value take the biggest hit. The second-year combo guard has gotten used to running the offense with Simmons out of the picture and will probably move into more of an off-ball role with Harden as his backcourt partner. He averaged just 6.1 points and 1.8 assists per game through 48 appearances alongside Simmons, but his workload has nearly tripled in Year 2.
It's safe to say that Maxey has pulled away from Shake Milton, but the two will likely fall into supporting roles while Harden operates as the primary initiator. Maxey is shooting over 40 percent on catch-and-shoot 3 but is attempting less than two per game. He'll need to prove that he can be productive with fewer chances to create off the dribble.
Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game in 2020-21 and is set to join a team loaded with gifted scorers. While he might not handle the ball as much as he'd like to in Brooklyn, he can still be the Nets' top playmaker and defender. Simmons hasn't played in a game since June of 2021, so his return to dominance could take some time. Several top 10 Fantasy point guards have stat lines comparable to Simmons's from last season. LaMelo Ball and Russell Westbrook have more scoring upside, but Simmons has the edge in efficiency, and his defensive prowess could make him more ideal for Roto leagues. The length of his ramp-up and introduction to the Nets' system determine whether he can return to an elite level before the playoffs.
One of Brooklyn's biggest weaknesses before the trade deadline was physicality in the post, and they addressed their need for more impactful center production by bringing in Drummond. Multiple reports suggested that the Nets sought out takers for Nic Claxton following the Harden trade, but they couldn't make anything happen. Claxton thrived alongside Harden's playmaking off the dribble, but he and LaMarcus Aldridge have dealt with health issues all year. Drummond has a chance to get a significant bump in production after putting together a solid stat line in limited minutes while backing up Embiid. Drummond's tallied a league-high 442 double-doubles since 2012 and was a top-20 center in points leagues before his move to Brooklyn. He'll likely climb a few spots with a more consistent role.
Curry's averaging a career-high 15 points per game this season, but his scoring will likely be on the downstroke soon. His efficiency isn't at risk, but vying for opportunities with a pair of high-volume scorers will be tough when Patty Mills and Joe Harris are also on the roster. Curry's on track to see his scoring average drop for a third consecutive month and is averaging just 8.7 points per game through three February contests. Joining a more talented team doesn't help his Fantasy upside.
