The Cleveland Cavaliers were quiet on NBA Trade Deadline Day, enjoying their Wednesday night win over the San Antonio Spurs and continuing to dream about new play calls with Sunday acquisition Caris LeVert. While they did so, some of their top competitors in the Eastern Conference made major moves.
The blockbuster took place on the coast, where the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers swapped uniquely-skilled co-stars in a trade that seemed inexplicable even two weeks ago. Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond are now Nets, while James Harden and Paul Millsap are 76ers.
Ben Simmons and James Harden swap places in an NBA Trade Deadline blockbuster. How does this move affect the Cavs and their playoff chances?
The 76ers are currently 32-22, 1.5 games back of the Cavs in the standings, and the teams will play four times between now and the end of the season — including their first meeting on Saturday. The Nets, losers of 10-straight, have called to 29-26 and eighth-place in the East; they have just one meeting remaining with the Cavs in the penultimate game of the season.
How does this wild trade affect the Cavs, both as they jockey for position down the stretch this year and even beyond as the Cavs try to establish themselves as a contender in the Conference for the next decade? The first reaction is that this is bad for the Cavs, and overall it likely is, but there are some silver linings for Cleveland too. Let’s look at the bad news and then the good news in turn.
How Ben Simmons, James Harden trade affects the Cavs: The Bad
The biggest takeaways from this trade between Eastern Conference title contenders is that both teams are firmly in the title mix for this season. Whatever slim hopes the Cavs had to going from basement to the NBA Finals got just a bit slimmer on Thursday.
Philadelphia improved their chances this season the most of any team in the league at the deadline, flipping Simmons’ empty spot in the rotation and Seth Curry’s sharpshooting for James Harden, a Top-10 offensive player in the league and a current All-Star. That makes the 76ers significantly more dangerous this season, both in terms of seeding down the stretch and in their title chances.
The Brooklyn Nets diversify their stars, gaining defense and rebounding at the expense of shooting and shot creation. What they can hope is that Simmons is bought-in and ready to go rebuild his image. Seth Curry is an elite sniper and a great piece to return in this deal, and Andre Drummond is a viable backup center.
This deal also limits the downside for both teams this summer. Harden opted into his contract for next season, ensuring the 76ers will have their two stars for at least next year. The Nets also limit their downside this summer; while Kyrie Irving could still exercise his player option and hit the road, he chose to join the Nets and play with Kevin Durant while Harden did not. At worst the Nets lose one star this summer, not two. That will keep them in the mix in the East for years to come.
How Ben Simmons, James Harden trade affects the Cavs: The Good
The Simmons – Harden bomb of a trade is not all doom-and-gloom for the Cavs. There are legitimate silver linings, and not just ways to spin the narrative to make Cleveland fans feel better. Multiple angles suggest some positives for the Cavs.
For the Brooklyn Nets, they have to integrate a player in just 26 games who has not played a single NBA minute this season. When he last played he was wilting under postseason pressure and passing up open layups in a Game 7. The best version of the Brooklyn Nets was the best offense of all time, and that possibility is now gone. Even at his best, Simmons’ offensive impact — especially in the postseason — is muted. With Kyrie Irving still only eligible for road games, building chemistry with this group will be a difficult task.
The 76ers on the other hand can’t simply be evaluated on how their title odds for this season improved; the opportunity cost has to be taken into account as well. Adding Harden is a major move that gives them a legitimate co-star for Joel Embiid (yes, at this point in their careers and given the season Embiid is having, Harden is the #2 in Philly) but he is far from a perfect fit. Harden wants the ball in his hands, which would mean it’s not in the hands of the MVP frontrunner. He is also a problem defensively, and the 76ers are unlikely to run a switching scheme to make up for Harden’s shortcomings.
There are other potential deals out there that could have brought back a co-star that fits better with Embiid. That may have been Damian Lillard in a universe where he had a more certain health diagnosis and Portland decided to tear down. Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, John Collins, De’Aaron Fox — would those players plus Seth Curry have been a better overall fit and boost to Philadelphia’s title odds? None of those deals materialized, but it’s not like the James Harden trade was fait accompli all season either.
The Philadelphia 76ers have stepped up into the tier of contenders, and the Brooklyn Nets are still residing firmly there assuming Kevin Durant returns. Both Ben Simmons and James Harden will get to play meaningful postseason basketball. The Cavs did not win with this trade, but it’s not all bad for a team that can afford to be patient as its young stars grow.