Philadelphia 76ers recently hired Daryl Morey as the president of their basketball operations. As fans continue to ponder over the direction the franchise could take under Morey and new head coach Doc Rivers, ESPN's Stephen A Smith has proposed a blockbuster trade idea about bringing the Houston Rockets' James Harden to Philadelphia. According to this latest NBA trade rumor, Daryl Morey might be able to pull off this trade by offering Ben Simmons to the Houston Rockets.
NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden - Joel Embiid could be the most destructive offensive duo in the league
Daryl Morey was the General Manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007 to 2020. He is mainly known for his fast-paced analytics-oriented style of basketball and heavily favors the 3-point shot over mid-range jumpers.
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Speaking about the absence of 3-point shooters on the Philadelphia 76ers' squad, ESPN's Stephen A Smith suggested on First Take that Daryl Morey's first move should be to get Houston Rockets' James Harden. Smith said in this regard:
"If I'm the Philadelphia 76ers and the goal is to get to the Finals, I'm Daryl Morey, the first thing I'm trying to do is get James Harden to become a Philadelphia 76er. Even if it means me trading Ben Simmons... my number 1 objective is to try to get James Harden in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform.
Morey was instrumental in getting James Harden to join the Houston Rockets in 2012 and has shared a great relationship with the Beard ever since. If this NBA trade rumor becomes a reality, James Harden could be an ideal partner for the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid and in the process elevate the team's offense to another level.
NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons could be the future of the Houston Rockets' franchise
While the Houston Rockets would love to keep James Harden on its roster at any cost, the idea of landing the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons might just force them to consider this trade.
Ben Simmons is just 24 and is seven years younger than James Harden. While he may not be as good as Harden at the offensive end, the Australian is one of the best playmakers and defenders in the NBA.
With Russell Westbrook being already 31 years old, the Houston Rockets could look to build for the future around Ben Simmons.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 crucial decisions the Philadelphia 76ers have to make this off-season.
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