Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Brooklyn Nets agreed to trade disgruntled All-Star guard James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
League sources told ESPN, the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer that Brooklyn will receive guards Ben Simmons and Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks in exchange for Harden and veteran forward Paul Millsap.
The Nets will obtain the 76ers' unprotected 2022 first-round pick, according to ESPN, with the right to defer the selection to 2023. In addition, Brooklyn will receive a top-8-protected 2027 first-rounder. That pick would remain top-8 protected in 2028, and it will convert into two second-round choices -- and $2 million in cash -- if it doesn't convey in either season.
The Nets also are waiving guard DeAndre' Bembry to free up a roster spot for the pending trade, ESPN reported.
Related
The agreement, which came hours before the NBA's trade deadline, allows both franchises to move on from unhappy superstars who had been seeking trades.
For the 76ers, the deal signals the end of what has been a monthslong saga involving Simmons, who demanded to be traded shortly after Philadelphia's loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.
Outside of a brief appearance at a mid-October practice during training camp, Simmons has remained away from the Sixers since that series loss to the Hawks and hasn't played in a game this season.
Simmons will continue to work with his therapist to get mentally prepared to play in Brooklyn, according to ESPN. He has already spoken with Nets star Kevin Durant and general manager Sean Marks.
Meanwhile, the relationship between Harden and the Nets became fractured in recent weeks, with ESPN reporting that Harden had declined to formally request a trade out of fear that he would receive backlash. He forced his way out of the Houston Rockets organization a little more than a year ago.
As part of the deal, Harden exercised his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season, according to reports. The 10-time All-Star selection is eligible to sign a four-year, $223 million contract extension with the 76ers this summer.
Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and eight rebounds per game this season. He has been battling hamstring issues in recent weeks for Brooklyn, which acquired him from the Rockets in January 2021.
Simmons has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists over 275 career games in Philadelphia. He notched career worsts in points (14.3), rebounds (7.2) and assists (6.9) across 58 games last season.
Curry is averaging career highs in points (15), assists (four) and rebounds (3.4) this season, his second in Philadelphia. Drummond, in his first season with the Sixers, has averages of 6.1 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Millsap, 37, has appeared in 24 games for the Nets this year, averaging 3.4 points and 3.7 rebounds.
