The Philadelphia 76ers are in the running to acquire Houston Rockets superstar James Harden.
Although 76ers newly appointed president Daryl Morey has said he will not part ways with All-Star Ben Simmons, the architect is apparently not trusted with his trade statements.
“Daryl Morey in my view, and this is not a character assassination, it’s just a statement,” ESPN’s Brain Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast. “He is not credible with what he says publicly about his trade intentions. So he comes out the other day and says, ‘We’re not going to trade Ben Simmons.’ I do not find that credible. In addition to the fact that very good reporters have reported that Ben Simmons is available. And I’ve heard myself that Ben Simmons is available.”
Morey, 48, was one of the best generals managers in the league.
Of course, Morey recently finished a long tenure with the Rockets. Part of the fuel to the trade rumors to get Harden to Philadelphia is that Morey has a phenomenal relationship with the former MVP.
The Rockets reportedly are demanding that the 76ers include Simmons in any deal for Harden.
The 31-year-old Harden put up 34.3 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game last season.
He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA. As a matter of fact, the veteran has led the league in scoring for the last three seasons.
As for Simmons, he is a core piece of the Sixers’ future. The No.1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft has career averages of 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game
