James Harden-Ben Simmons trade: Daryl Morey got his man for the 76ers, and he deserves credit for his patience

Morey didn't let the Simmons distraction get in the way of making the right deal

It happened. The Philadelphia 76ers are trading Ben Simmons, along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden (and Paul Millsap), according to reports. Daryl Morey got his man. Now we have to give the 76ers executive his credit. 

Before that, a little clarification on the first-round picks going to Brooklyn. The first one is Philly's 2022 pick, which, if the Nets desire, can be deferred to 2023. The second is Philly's 2027 first-round pick, which is protected 1-8. If it doesn't convey in 2027, it goes to 2028 with the same 1-8 protection. If it doesn't convey at that point, it becomes two second-round picks and $2 million in cash for the Nets, per Wojnarowksi. 

There are a lot of layers to this deal, but gut reaction, this is a win for both sides. Harden didn't want to be in Brooklyn, and Philly is certainly thrilled to get rid of the Simmons drama and move on to the business of giving Joel Embiid, who's in the middle of an MVP campaign, a legitimate chance to compete for a championship. 

We know the history of Harden and Morey. They built an upper-crust title contender in Houston, and Morey angled for a Harden-for-Simmons swap almost immediately upon his relocation to Philadelphia. That didn't materialize 13 months ago, but it was the beginning of Simmons feeling slighted. Harden went to Brooklyn, where he was supposed to be joining a super-team but wound up with unvaccinated Kyrie Irving for 12 games. Kevin Durant has been out a month with an MCL sprain. The Nets have lost nine of their last 10 and are currently the East's the No. 8 seed. 

This is precisely the sort of implosion Morey was waiting on. He could've dealt Simmons for a lesser package just to be rid of the headache, and I'm not sure anyone would've blamed him. The pressure not to waste a full season of Embiid's prime was getting heavier by the day, and it started out pretty damn heavy. 

People thought Morey was crazy when he said he wanted a Harden-level player back for Simmons. He said he wanted Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal. The cream of the crop guys. We all laughed at him. For Ben Simmons? The guy we all just saw get scared to shoot a layup in crunch time of a postseason elimination game? The guy who put on the worst free-throw shooting display in playoff history? In some capacity, we all got a good chuckle at Morey for aiming so high. The market seemed to be telling him over and over what he refused to hear. Simmons was not worth what Morey thought he was. 

Except, in the end, he was worth what Morey thought. It took the Nets falling apart to make the right guy available, but Morey waited for circumstances to change and he was rewarded for his patience. The assumption is that Harden, who hasn't been nearly the same player with the Nets this season that he was for so long in Houston, can and will get back to his old ways with the Sixers. 

That's not necessarily a sure thing. We assume the falloff has been situational, uncomfortable sacrifice playing with other superstars and all that, but Harden just might not be the same physically. It happens. Also, Embiid isn't exactly a second fiddle, and he's not the rim-diving five-man Harden enjoyed so much success with in Houston. Harden is still going to have to defer plenty. 

Still, the upside of a Harden-Embiid combo is obvious and too tempting not to take a shot, even if it's a short-term one. Contrary to an initial report, Harden apparently did not opt into his $47.8 million player option for next season, which means he could walk as a free agent this summer. This could be another Jimmy Butler rental. 

Doesn't matter. You get your hands on a star like Harden, you make your run and worry about the fallout later. Fact is, Morey might decide he doesn't want to give Harden a max extension anyway. That's a deal that might very well age terribly. That decision is for later. 

Right now, Harden gives Embiid the elite half-court playmaker he's never had. Butler was the closest thing to filling that void, but Harden, at his best, is another level up from Butler in terms of creating offense. Defenses can't double off Harden, obviously, and Philly can put shooting everywhere else in many lineups. Doubling Embiid is suddenly going to be a tough call. 

Morey also did well to keep Matisse Thybulle out of the deal. With Simmons gone, retaining an elite perimeter defender in Thybulle keeps Philly's defensive upside intact with Embiid hovering on the backline. In the playoffs, you need a perimeter stud who can, at least reasonably, take on superstar-scorer matchups. 

Protecting that 2027/2028 pick was also a win for Morey, who knows this Sixers core could be very well washed by that point. If the Sixers need to go into a rebuild, the opportunity to tank their way into a top-eight pick is no small matter. 

So let's give Morey his credit. Who knows how all this works out, but he's given the Sixers a chance. He didn't give in and sell low on what was seemingly a rapidly depreciating asset. He played this thing down to the wire, and he got his man.