“I think Daryl Morey should be thrilled, and he should be doing the WWE flex” - Brian Windhorst praises Daryl Morey for sticking to his guns and managing to get James Harden
Daryl Morey managed to get what he wanted at the trade deadline, as the Philadelphia 76ers acquired James Harden for the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, who reported the potential trade earlier in the week, praised Morey for pulling it off.
In the most recent episode of "The Hoop Collective," Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon talked about all the deals at the deadline. The biggest trade that happened was between the Sixers and the Nets involving superstars Harden and Ben Simmons.
Windhorst praised Morey for sticking to his guns, waiting patiently for a superstar in exchange for the disgruntled Simmons. Morey always wanted Harden, and he got him by sending Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first-round picks to Brooklyn.
"I think Daryl Morey should be thrilled, and he should be doing the WWE flex because everybody was like, 'No, no, no, take this offer from this guy; take this package from this guy.' His strategy paid off," Windhorst said.
It was one of the most surprising and biggest trades in recent years. At the start of the season, Ben Simmons wanted out of Philadelphia. The Sixers were listening to offers, but they only wanted a superstar in return. Daryl Morey set his sights on players such as James Harden, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.
Meanwhile, Harden had a chance to win a championship in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, things did not go as planned, as Harden struggled at the start of the season with the new foul rules. Irving was not with the team till the end of the first half of the season due to his anti-vaccination stance.
The Nets were still winning with Durant leading the team, but he got injured, and the team has suffered since then. At the end of the trade deadline, the Nets were on a ten-game losing streak. It was the perfect storm for Morey and the Sixers as Harden wanted out of Brooklyn.
The Nets are trading James Harden to the Sixers in a deal for Ben Simmons, per @ShamsCharania @NBAonTNT https://t.co/5VF7PKJErY
James Harden and Sixers to host Simmons and Nets on March 10
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets are set to face each other one more time this season, on March 10. NBA fans will surely mark the date on their calendars, as Ben Simmons could make his return to Philly.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will face James Harden for the first time since the latter demanded a trade. It's going to be bonkers with Philly fans likely to boo Simmons out of the building.
Mark your calendars 🗓 https://t.co/J10IJ61qF4
With the Sixers and Nets being in the same division, they will face each other four times next season. If the stars are aligned in the upcoming NBA playoffs, the two teams could face each other this postseason in the first or second round.