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A16 sports
Friday 11 February 2022
AP sources: Nets send Harden to 76ers for Simmons

AP Sports Writers their disgruntled star, guard Thursday by the people months after they acquired trio played only 16 games
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Seth Curry and center An- who spoke to The Associ- the 2018 NBA MVP to play together.
Simmons got his wish, a dre Drummond to the Nets ated Press on condition of with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Simmons did not play this
trade out of Philadelphia. in a deal for Harden. The anonymity because the Irving. season for the Sixers in the
The 76ers got their second Sixers also will get Paul Mill- trade had not been an- But Harden could have wake of a trade demand
superstar, with James Hard- sap and the Nets get draft nounced. left this summer as a free centered largely around
en coming over in a block- picks, according to people The move came just five agent and the Nets de- hurt feelings coming off last
buster multiplayer trade with direct knowledge of days after coach Steve cided it wasn't worth the season's playoff loss. Sim-
with the Brooklyn Nets. the decision. Nash said the Nets wouldn't risk to wait, ending their Big mons averaged 15.9 points,
The Sixers sent Simmons, The move was confirmed trade Harden and only 13 Three experiment after the 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists
over four seasons with Phil-
adelphia, which drafted
him out of LSU, where he
played only one season.
His defining moment as
a Sixer came when he
passed up a wide-open
dunk against Atlanta in
the second round of last
year's playoffs that would
have tied the game late in
Game 7.
Simmons was hurt by criti-
cism from teammate Joel
Embiid and coach Doc
Rivers over his role in Philly's
early postseason exit.
Simmons made a surprise
return to the Sixers shortly
before the season opened,
but was promptly kicked
out of practice and sus-
pended for one game. The
punishment didn't matter,
the No. 1 pick of the 2016
draft had no intention of
ever playing. He later cited
mental health concerns.
Harden was set to miss his
fourth straight game Thurs-
day with a hamstring injury
while trade rumors intensi-
fied.
The Nets acquired the
three-time scoring champi-
on from the Houston Rock-
ets in a deal last January,
with the idea that Harden,
Durant and Irving would be
too potent to stop. The Nets
loaded up for a title run
with three of the highest-
paid players in the league
but a championship run
with them never material-
ized.
Harden and Irving were
both hurt last year in the
playoffs and the Nets lost in
the second round to even-
tual champion Milwaukee.
With Irving not joining the
Nets until December and
Durant injured in Janu-
ary, the Nets got only two
games out of their Big Three
this season.
They are 2-10 since Durant
sprained his left knee, an
injury that could keep him
out until after the All-Star
break. q