The biggest trade of the season just went down between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets on the trade deadline day. The Sixers got a superstar in James Harden, who decided it was time to leave the Nets and Kevin Durant. But this deal didn’t just happen overnight, and it had a lot of causes and pieces that were involved from the beginning of the season.

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Even though reports came out in January that James Harden was unhappy with his situation, the signs were ominous since the start of the year. Reports suggest Kevin Durant was not happy with Harden’s conditioning on arrival in Nets camp. Harden was heavy and out of shape, and intrigued by the idea of free agency for the first time in his career. The Nets were worried, but they were reassured by Harden, who said he wanted to stay long-term. But all that changed when he learned Kyrie Irving wasn’t gonna be able to join the team. And subsequently, when Kevin Durant went down, it finally reached a breaking point for Harden.

Harden felt like he was in Houston where he had to take care of the team’s scoring. One of the reasons Harden moved to Brooklyn, was the fact that he can play with two superstars. But being back in the same situation, Harden felt his time was up and he told the Nets that he would like to be traded to the 76ers.

James Harden leaves Kevin Durant and the Nets

The Sixers were desperately searching for options to trade Ben Simmons, but they weren’t happy with the offers that they were getting. Ben had not played for a minute for them, and he had distanced himself from the team. He had been asking for a trade since the start of the season and the 76ers were keen on moving him.

When news came out that Harden wanted a move, the Sixers jumped at the chance and contacted the Nets. The Nets weren’t going to make a move that will hurt the franchise. After all, they have given up 2 young players and a few draft picks for Harden. The Nets held out until the last minute, until they felt like they got enough for Harden. With less than two hours remaining on the trade deadline, the Nets agreed to trade Harden to the 76ers. This bought an end to the Big 3 era in Brooklyn which played only 16 games together.

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Harden got what he wanted, and he will be pleased to play alongside another superstar in Joel Embiid. With Harden turning 33 soon, this might be his last chance to win a championship. The Nets will be disappointed with how things have happened over the last few months. But they did get another All-star in return. Ben Simmons has the potential to be a superstar in the league and with proper guidance, he will get there. Even though Durant will be disappointed that his friend left him, he will be keen on playing with Simmons and leading the Nets to a title.

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