The biggest asset exchange of the 2021-22 season took place on trade deadline day in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers would send their unhappy star, Ben Simmons, along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two draft picks, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for former MVP, James Harden, and Paul Millsap. This blockbuster trade put fans in a frenzy, as it essentially made both teams strong.

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In light of this trade, many have spoken about their favorites between the Nets and Philly. One such person is former NBA star, Kendrick Perkins. In a recent interview, Perkins revealed why he chose the Sixers over the Nets to make it out of the Eastern Conference.

Kendrick Perkins on the Philadelphia 76ers

In a recent interview, Perkins explained why he believes the Sixers are his favorite out of the East. He explained that despite the Nets having Durant on their squad, he would still pick Philly because of Joel Embiid.

“At the end of the day, the Brooklyn Nets still have Kevin Durant, which I get that, one of the best scorers to ever play the game of basketball,” said Perkins.

“But right now, I’m going with Philly as my favorite because I believe that Joel Embiid is the best player in basketball,” he explained.

Furthermore, he added that ‘leadership and cohesiveness’ are required from the Brooklyn Nets, especially from KD, Kyrie, and Steve Nash. He then gave an example of how Harden’s previous trade to the Nets did not amount to a championship.

“We heard the scary hours and things of that nature. But those scary hours became weary hours, and we saw how that panned out,” said Perkins.

In Conclusion

It’s pretty clear that Perkins believes that the Sixers are the stronger team over the Nets. With that being said, we are yet to see both teams play with Harden or Simmons on the floor. For Philly, Harden brings in the much-needed scoring and playmaking. This will work in tandem with Embiid as he continues to dominate the league this season.

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As for Brooklyn, Simmons fits in perfectly by being a defensive phenom as well as a strong playmaker and rebounder. So it looks like both teams got what they were looking for. Regardless, we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the second half of the season.