“This could potentially go down as the worst day in the career of Daryl Morey” - Stephen A. Smith reacts to blockbuster James Harden-Ben Simmons trade
The NBA community has been thrown into a frenzy following news of the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade. Reactions have been pouring in from players and pundits, including ESPN sports analyst Stephen A. Smith.
The Brooklyn Nets are trading James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, sources tell ESPN.
Harden, who was reportedly unhappy with the Nets, has finally got what is believed to be his wish. While many have cheered Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey for staying patient and getting a player as valuable as Harden, some think otherwise.
On ESPN's "NBA Today" show, Stephen A. spoke about the blockbuster trade and acknowledged how both teams have gotten a lot stronger. However, he pointed out that the move might not look good for Morey down the line.
"I want to say, for the record, this could potentially, not definitively, but this could potentially go down as the worst day in the career of Daryl Morey. You gave up a shooter in Seth Curry. I hear that he can't guard and hurt a guy 27 on him in the playoffs stop it. The bottom line is he's one of the premier shooters in the game."
Smith went on to highlight some of the pieces of the trade and how they simply don't make sense from a 76ers standpoint.
"You gave up two first-round picks. How do you go from asking for first-round picks to giving up two of them? That makes no sense to me whatsoever. So, when I look at it from that perspective, and whatever else they gave up. When you think about Ben Simmons and how he compliments KD and Kyrie."
Smith suggested that Simmons has more of an upside for the Nets than Harden does for the 76ers. The sports analyst closed his remarks by saying that the trade was a lot more beneficial to the Brooklyn Nets, who are now seemingly in a much better position leading up to the playoffs.
"What he brings to the table in terms of his playmaking ability, his ball-handling skills, his basketball IQ, and first and most importantly, his defensive prowess, there's no question, along with Andre Drummond, a big body that Brooklyn desperately needed because we know they were a bit thin on their front line. You take all of those things into consideration I don't think there's any doubt that Brooklyn benefits from this trade."
Regardless of the hot takes following the news of the trade, both organizations seem to be happy with the deal and like their chances of contending for the 2022 title.
The Sixers have a decent shot at the title with James Harden
Joel Embiid has successfully carried the Sixers to a fifth-place standing in the Eastern Conference (32-22) and is only 2.5 games behind conference leaders the Miami Heat. Pairing him with another All-Star might be all the Sixers need to win their first title since the 1982-83 season.
Although James Harden has not been at his best this season, his 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 assists averages are still Herculean numbers. With him playing alongside Embiid, who is having an MVP-caliber campaign; the competition in the East has just gotten a lot stiffer.
The Sixers might have to wait a while before they see Harden in action. The three-time scoring champ is currently nursing a hamstring injury and has been unavailable since February 4.