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Flight · Jan 22, 2022

2023 NBA mock draft: Who will be picking near the top, and who they'll take

@Skooby

Thanks in advance breh

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

2023 NBA mock draft: Who is the No. 1 college prospect, how the international class stacks up and possible breakout sophomores
Jan 21, 2022

Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmitz

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

46. Philadelphia 76ers (from Atlanta)

Jaime Jaquez Jr. | UCLA | SG | Age: 20.9

47. Atlanta Hawks (from Charlotte)

Aminu Mohammed | Georgetown | SF | Age: 20.1

48. New York Knicks (from Dallas)

Jalen Williams | Santa Clara | SF | Age: 20.7

49. Cleveland Cavaliers

Caleb Love | North Carolina | SG | Age: 20.3

50. Chicago Bulls (from Denver)

This pick is forfeited

51. Los Angeles Lakers (from Chicago)

Boogie Ellis | USC | PG/SG | Age: 21.1

52. Philadelphia 76ers

Jamarion Sharp | Western Kentucky | C | Age: 20.4

53. Indiana Pacers (from Miami)

Mike Miles | TCU | PG | Age: 19.4

54. LA Clippers

Hakim Hart | Maryland | SF/PF | Age: 20.7

55. Memphis Grizzlies

Jordan Hall | Saint Joseph's | SF | Age: 20.0

56. Phoenix Suns

Gui Santos | Minas | SF | Age: 19.5

57. New York Knicks (from Utah)

Hyunjung Lee | Davidson | SG/SF | Age: 21.2

58. Milwaukee Bucks

Tristan Vukcevic | Real Madrid | PF | Age: 18.8

59. Brooklyn Nets

Karlo Matkovic | Mega Mozzart | C | Age: 20.9

60. Detroit Pistons (from Golden State)

Zsombor Maronka | Prat | SF | Age: 19.3

*Committed

Who is the No. 1 college prospect in 2023?
Two years ago in our first 2021 mock draft, we had Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley pegged as the top prospects, which ended up being the exact order. One year ago, we projected Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith to be the top three picks in the 2022 draft, which is exactly what our forecast today still says.

While plenty can still change, Wembanyama and Henderson are currently out in front as the top two prospects, with most of the mystery revolving around whom to slate behind them as the best incoming college freshmen in a high school senior class that is as wide open as we can remember at this stage. The high school all-star circuit, including the McDonald's All American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, will also put other contenders at the forefront.

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

While plenty can still change, Wembanyama and Henderson are currently out in front as the top two prospects, with most of the mystery revolving around whom to slate behind them as the best incoming college freshmen in a high school senior class that is as wide open as we can remember at this stage. The high school all-star circuit, including the McDonald's All American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, will also put other contenders at the forefront.

It doesn't help that ESPN's previous No. 1-ranked player in the class, Shaedon Sharpe, elected to graduate high school in May and enroll at Kentucky earlier this month. Most NBA teams are operating under the assumption that Sharpe, who turns 19 in May, did so in order to enter the 2022 NBA draft, something that he is eligible for now, sources told ESPN. Sharpe declaring for the draft might depend on whether or not he plays for Kentucky this season, which we should have more clarity on in the next week, but history says that the proposition of turning down the option of being a top-10 pick is unlikely, even if Sharpe is said to be adamant about prioritizing his long-term development and is very much interested in returning to play a full season in college.

Besides Sharpe, other candidates for consideration atop the 2023 board include Arkansas commit Nick Smith, Dereck Lively (Duke), Dariq Whitehead (Duke), Kyle Filipowski (Duke) and Keyonte George (Baylor). All would be strong secondary candidates in normal classes, a product of the mass reclassification we've seen from this group (Henderson, Emoni Bates, Jalen Duren, Sharpe, Caleb Houstan et al.). With none of the current players offering the type of guaranteed upside you expect up top, we've elected to go with Smith, arguably the most enticing long-term talent, as the best incoming college freshman prospect.

The 17-year-old offers a tantalizing combination of size, length, fluidity, shot-making, playmaking and competitiveness defensively, giving him an ideal package for a modern NBA guard prospect. A late bloomer who didn't solidify himself in the five-star conversation until the Nike EYBL last summer, he has plenty of work to do in the strength department, contributing to his lack of high-end explosiveness/power operating in the lane, and can be a little casual with his shot selection and decision-making.

Playing off the ball quite a bit in the past, Smith is only now starting to mold himself into a lead guard, the evolution of which will play a major role in how he's viewed as an NBA prospect, as well as how he progresses physically. He already looks like one of the most skilled guards in the class at using and rejecting ball screens with his outstanding ballhandling, vision and creativity passing off a live dribble and operating off hesitation moves, something that's only amplified by his impressive range on pull-up jumpers.

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

While Smith is not yet a unanimous top-five prospect by recruiting analysts, Lively looks like the early favorite to finish as the No. 1 player in the 2022 high school class, and for good reason. At 7-foot-1, with a 9-foot-2 standing reach, he offers exceptional mobility covering ground fluidly and getting off his feet with incredible ease for dunks and blocks, making him an absolute force defensively. He averaged 6.2 blocks per 40 minutes at the Nike EYBL last summer on the team that won the championship, the fifth-best rate in the competition's history. He's also highly skilled as a passer and already shows the ability to step out and hit 3-pointers with increasingly polished shooting mechanics, giving him a modern element to his game that all big-man prospects need, to go along with his rim-running, lob-catching, rim-protecting and pick-and-roll-switching prowess.

Also not considered a consensus five-star prospect until last summer, the main holdup for Lively to enter the No. 1 pick conversation, where his talent suggests he belongs, is his lack of productivity at the high school level. In a high-profile matchup with Gill St. Bernard's at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, last weekend, he didn't attempt a field goal until well into the second half, and finished the game with only five points (on 2-for-8 shooting) despite boasting at least a 6-inch height advantage on the next-tallest player on the floor at all times. He has been criticized for his lack of physicality and alpha mentality, mirroring some of the same things we heard about Mobley at the same stage but to an even more extreme degree. We've learned over the years not to be too much of a prisoner of the moment when it comes to evaluating late-blooming, 17-year-old 7-footers in Lively's mold, but how he evolves in the toughness and productivity departments as the season progresses at Duke will be important.

The Duke-bound Filipowski had the clear-cut most impressive individual showing of any player at the Hoophall Classic, posting 28 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists in 24 minutes. While the level of competition left much to be desired, these types of performances have become the norm for Filipowski, including in a high-profile matchup earlier this month against fellow Duke commit Lively. At 6-foot-11, with a physical frame that NBA teams favor and impressive explosiveness, Filipowski is a skilled big man who can handle, pass and shoot and looks to be making significant strides defensively. Don't be surprised if Duke uses him similarly to how Banchero is being deployed this season, giving him the freedom to push off the defensive glass and play pick-and-roll with the springy Lively. The consistency of Filipowski's perimeter shot and his ability to defend power forwards will be scrutinized closely next year, but he's improving rapidly and there's quite a bit to like about his long-term upside. Like Smith and Lively, he didn't cement himself as a surefire five-star prospect until the EYBL.

Wing prospects Whitehead and George have long been considered top-five-caliber recruits in this class but have been somewhat inconsistent with their performances this season. That makes sense considering they are at the top of opposing scouting reports playing in the deep, physical and well-coached National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), which is preparing them for the rigors of college basketball.

Whitehead is the youngest American player in this mock draft, not turning 18 until August, but made his Hoophall Classic debut as a 13-year-old in 2018. A transition scorer and versatile defender who has made major strides with his pull-up jumper, Whitehead is trying to make the jump from consummate glue guy to more of a featured option on a weaker Montverde Academy team this season, something that's been a work in progress. While he undeniably has an extremely high floor as the type of two-way prospect every NBA team covets, we're still learning more about his ceiling.

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

George might be the most skilled scorer in the class, a thick-framed Eric Gordon type at 6-4 with a healthy ability to put the ball in the basket. He has gained some bad weight this season despite joining one of the most renowned strength and conditioning programs in the country at IMG, but he should be able to get in better shape at Baylor. George's ability to get downhill, finish around the basket, make shots from all over the floor, create for others in small doses and increasingly defend with energy (a relatively new development) gives him a great framework to build off. Being efficient with his shot selection and decision-making, bringing consistent intensity and playing more of a team game and winning style will be the things scouts want to see more of from him, as he's not blessed with elite physical tools in terms of size, length or explosiveness to compensate.

Two sleepers to keep in mind are the Thompson twins -- Ausar and Amen -- playing with Overtime Elite, both of whom are in our top 10 after showing a great deal of intrigue 13 games into their seasons. Both have everything the NBA is looking for as high-end lottery prospects from a physical standpoint, with incredible frames, length, fluidity and explosiveness. In terms of defensive versatility, intensity, court vision, transition scoring and ability to play anywhere on the floor, there is no one else like them in the class. The questions come on the offensive end, specifically in the half court. Ausar is faster and stronger, and he's the better shooter and overall scorer, but he leaves something to be desired, hitting just 27% of his 3-pointers (9-for-34) and 50% of his free throws. Amen is the superior passer and ball handler and is said to be more the alpha personality of the two, but he struggles to put the ball in the basket at times against better defenses. How much progress the two are able to make with their mechanics, touch and consistency from beyond the arc will play a major role in where they'll end up being picked, and perhaps how OTE as a venture is viewed.

Turning 19 next week, agewise the twins would have been eligible for the 2022 NBA draft if they were international prospects. Unlike Sharpe, they weren't close to graduating high school when the NBA season started (a requirement of the age limit rule), which will push them to the 2023 NBA draft with their original high school class, something their father, Troy Thompson, confirmed to ESPN and says they are completely comfortable with. -- Jonathan Givony
How does the 2023 international class stack up?
Projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is a household name among draft die-hards by now. A prospect I've been evaluating closely since he was 13, the 7-3 phenom with a never-ending wingspan and rare skill level for his size does everything on both ends, and has already proved himself against this year's projected top pick, Holmgren, last summer on the FIBA circuit, going for 22 points, 8 boards and 8 blocks in a narrow loss to the United States. Likely the only thing that can hold him back from stardom are injuries, which he's battled this season with ASVEL given his height and thin frame.

But what about the rest of the 2023 international class behind Wembanyama?

I recently spent 10 days canvassing Europe to get a feel for the next crop of potential international stars beyond the 2022 draft class. Not including Wembanyama, the 2023 draft features five potential first-round picks currently playing in Europe, each one with a different path and skill set.

• French-Senegalese guard Sidy Cissoko is the most talented of the bunch, standing 6-6 with long arms, big hands, a strong 196-pound frame and the ability to create offense for both himself and his teammates. He's a powerful downhill driver who has already finished several poster dunks this season, while also showcasing impressive shot-making potential despite his 29% 3-point clip. Although he can make most pick-and-roll reads when he's going right, Cissoko -- who plays point guard full time for Iraurgi in Spain's second division -- needs to improve his decision-making and handle to play on the ball full time at the highest level. His defensive energy and body language also need major work, and making strides in those areas will be crucial for him to maximize his potential as a top-10 pick. The 17-year-old is under contract with Baskonia in the Basque Region and could earn minutes in the ACB next season.

• The best international big in this class (after Wembanyama) is Barcelona's James Nnaji, a Nigerian-born center who wasn't considered an NBA prospect less than two years ago playing in Hungary yet is now earning minutes for a club that rarely hands them out to young prospects. At 6-10, 245 pounds with a reported 7-7 wingspan, huge hands and impressive mobility, Nnaji sports one of the most impressive physical profiles you'll see from any big-man prospect, with dimensions comparable to Bismack Biyombo. He's already putting his tools to good use, recently scoring 10 points, grabbing 5 rebounds and swatting 5 shots in 19 minutes in his ACB debut. We saw him live against Efes in Euroleague action, where he more than held his own in a limited role for the first place Spanish powerhouse. Nnaji is a high-energy rebounder with the motor and physicality of Isaiah Stewart yet far more potential as a rim protector and pick-and-roll defender.

• One of the most intriguing prospects in this group is Senegalese forward Ousmane N'diaye, whom we first saw at a small tournament in Hungary in January 2020. N'diaye now stands 6-10 with a 7-2 wingspan and excellent touch from 3, projecting as a stretch-4 who sees the floor well and can protect the rim in a pinch. Developing with Rhoendorf in Germany, Ndiaye leads the German third division in rebounds and ranks in the top five in blocks while showing potential as a shooter, even tossing in the occasional step-back.

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

N'diaye, who came from Senegal to Germany two years ago, missed a year with knee injuries and still needs to improve his perimeter defense, flexibility and physicality at 205 pounds, so it might take him longer than others to maximize his potential. He's expected to play his draft-eligible season with Bonn in the German first League.

• The most proven of this crop is Nikola Durisic, a strong-framed, 6-8 Serbian wing who was first identified as a preteen, ultimately joining prospect-laden Mega Mozzart as a 13-year-old. The son of a professional soccer player (father) and volleyball player (mother), the 17-year-old Durisic is a physical, well-rounded player who brings defensive intensity to the floor and has shown the ability to create offense for both himself and his teammates, even earning some point guard reps through 13 games in the Adriatic League, averaging 5.4 assists per 40 minutes. Durisic is a streaky shooter who needs to improve as a finisher and address his emotional reactivity amidst adversity, but he has a relatively high floor and real first-round potential given his positional size, toughness, feel for the game and likely starting role with Mega during his draft-eligible season.

• Arguably the best long-term European prospect outside of Wembanyama is French guard Rayan Rupert, whom I watched go for 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals in a win over Avignon in the French third division. As the leader of a U18 INSEP team competing against professionals, Rupert is incredibly impressive in his all-business approach at just 17 years old, which comes as little surprise as he's the brother of 2021 WNBA draft pick Iliana Rupert and the son of longtime French professional Thierry Rupert, who tragically died in 2013. Physically, Rupert is highly intriguing with Kawhi Leonard-like dimensions, standing 6-6 with a reported 7-3 wingspan, a projectable yet lean frame and the potential to sprout as tall as 6-9. Although he's a streaky shooter, an improving decision-maker and a finesse-reliant finisher lacking physicality, Rupert is a disruptive on-ball defender and has tremendous upside as a shot creator given his ability to rise over top of virtually any guard and get to his patented midrange jumper, even showing some range on pull-up 3s. More long than explosive, Rupert is at an early stage of physical development and shouldn't be expected to be overly productive in his first professional season next year (location still unknown), but he has as high of an upside as any international prospect in this class outside of the No. 1 pick. -- Mike Schmitz

Will 2022 repeat itself with breakout sophomores in 2023?
Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley has the potential of becoming a top-10 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports
The 2021-22 NCAA season has been the year of the sophomore breakout, with second-year players such as Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Bennedict Mathurin and Johnny Davis all projected in the top eight of the 2022 draft. While Davis was the least known of the bunch, Murray, Ivey and Mathurin would have all surely been drafted in 2021 if they had entered, some of them earning real consideration in the first round. But they all opted to return to school, each now in the midst of All-American-caliber season, and will enter the NBA with real clout and pressure from the coaching staff to play early minutes.

As we look forward to 2023, with NIL (name, image and likeness) making the NCAA even more attractive, which freshmen could follow the template laid by that quartet, developing from prospect to player and ultimately landing in the lottery?

• Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley has been a hot name in scouting circles over the past couple of months thanks to his dynamic scoring ability, positional length and glimpses of playmaking as Notre Dame's most talented shot creator. Averaging 17.6 points in 33.3 minutes over his past five games, the 6-foot-5 18-year-old has shown enough to garner real interest throughout the first round, but he is in no rush to simply be a late-first-round pick, according to sources we've spoken to, and likely has the most potential in the country to be next year's Ivey. Becoming a more consistent shooter, defender and full-time point guard could certainly make Wesley a top-10 selection in 2023 and one of the most exciting guards in the nation.

• 6-10 Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan is another name to watch, as he was gaining considerable momentum as a 2022 prospect with his play in December -- 10.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 54% from 3 off the bench -- before an ankle injury. Sochan has the size and feel for the game to evolve into one of the more productive sophomores in the country next season, similar to what we saw from Murray, albeit with a different style of play. Sochan should be able to boost his draft stock with a strong summer at the European Championships with the Polish Senior National Team, parlaying that into a breakout sophomore season alongside projected top-10 pick George, where he'd have plenty of chances to show more of the passing that made him unique at the FIBA youth level.

• If his 35-point effort in a win over Nebraska was any indication, Ohio State freshman Malaki Branham looks the part of a future standout sophomore given his combo of length, defense and shooting at a sturdy 6-5 with a 6-10 wingspan. Like Davis as a freshman, the 19-year-old fits the mold of a 3-and-D-style off-guard, yet can still prove there are more layers to his game -- particularly in pick-and-roll -- next season with additional volume and E.J. Liddell likely in the NBA. As he showed by helping limit Davis to 14 points on 18 shots earlier this month, there's a lot to like about Branham's two-way potential.

• While all three would surely hear their names called in the 2022 draft if they opted to enter, freshmen Caleb Houstan, Peyton Watson and Max Christie could vie for spots in the 2023 lottery with bounce-back sophomore seasons. For Watson, a full summer of physical development, film study and shooting reps could turn the 6-8 19-year-old into one of the best two-way wings in the 2023 draft class, especially with UCLA likely to lose multiple perimeter players, opening the door for him to show more of his shot creation.

Derek Lee · Jan 22, 2022

Should Houstan regain the shooting stroke and polish that made him so effective for the Canadian U19 team and at Montverde, he'll easily earn looks throughout the top 20 picks next June. Christie, who has shown more signs of life over his past five games (44% from 3), could pull a Josh Primo and opt for this year's draft with a strong showing down the stretch, but he has another level to reach in terms of defense, finishing and playmaking ability. If he turns his smooth jumper into a consistent weapon and improves in those areas, I'd expect Christie to compete with Branham as one of the best guards in the Big Ten next season, should he opt to return.

• The prospect most in need of a strong close to the season and big summer to enter the 2023 lottery conversation is 6-9 Memphis wing Emoni Bates. Once considered a future top pick as a young teen, Bates is now slotted at 20th overall with questions looming about his decision-making, frame, defensive awareness and overall ability to play through contact given his lack of length, physicality, burst and vertical pop. It's been a tough adjustment for the 17-year-old coming from a non-powerhouse high school without any FIBA experience to the collegiate level, as he has committed twice as many turnovers as assists while shooting just 35% at the rim in the half court.

As I said on the Memphis-Alabama broadcast, the media (myself included) is also to blame for comparing a young teenager to future Hall of Famers. With that said, it's time for Bates to recalibrate expectations, simplify his game and start building on the things he does well while addressing his shortcomings. When I was in Memphis earlier this season, Bates had an excellent practice by running the floor hard, making catch-and-shoot 3s, creating offense as a cutter and bringing energy defensively, free of all the pressure to try to become the next Kevin Durant. That's the template for him moving forward -- more singles, less home runs. Bates is now up to 35% from 3 this season, and his shooting touch is his clear NBA skill.

LA Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. is a nice archetype for him as a shot-making wing who can catch fire both with his feet set and on the move. Although Bates' focus off the ball defensively needs work, he has a competitive energy about him that could manifest in becoming a more impactful defender and plus rebounder. He'll also show glimpses as an open-court playmaker when he's not sped up. Where Bates spends his draft-eligible season will play a big role in his development and NBA outlook as being held accountable is imperative for future success. Whether he's at Memphis or at an alternative pathway like Overtime Elite or the G League Ignite -- where he'd benefit from playing off potential top pick Henderson -- scouts will have a close eye on Bates' development. -- Schmitz

Skooby · Jan 23, 2022

@Flight ^^

Flight · Jan 23, 2022

Skooby said:
@Flight ^^

Good looking breh..salute @Derek Lee

954UAlreadyknow · Feb 11, 2022

Inside the tense negotiations that led to the Simmons-Harden trade

@Skooby

Skooby · Feb 11, 2022

954UAlreadyknow said:
Inside the tense negotiations that led to the Simmons-Harden trade

@Skooby

IN THE FINAL minutes of negotiations, Daryl Morey was shouting to Sean Marks: "Stay on the f---ing phone!" Here it was, 1:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the Philadelphia 76ers' president of basketball operations had come too far to let this deal die. He implored Marks to stay on the line until they had an agreement on the biggest trade of the year.

"We're going to finish this!" Morey said. He was on the cusp of getting disgruntled star Ben Simmons out of his life and James Harden back into it, the protections on these draft picks were within reach, and Morey wanted it over. For months, everyone had told Morey to settle, cave to the marketplace's mediocre offers and unburden the Sixers of the Simmons saga. To hell with that. Morey wanted Harden, and now it was her

"We're dropping F-bombs now, Daryl?" Marks said, jokin

Here was Morey, the combustible, disheveled, dealmaking junkie with an admitted habit of cursing under stress. Ten years ago, Morey hung up with another front-office son of the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City's Sam Presti, and had himself a far different deal for Harden. That changed Morey's career -- and changed Harden's too. Harden became The Beard, the MVP, a lethal, efficient offensive juggernaut with a franchise bent to his every whim. Together, Morey and Harden launched themselves in Houston, reaching the Western Conference finals, supercharging a historic NBA offense and shuttling co-stars in and out at a breakneck rat

Together they'd gassed the franchise's trade assets on big deals that flamed out -- no fewer than three first-round picks in Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook trades. Both Morey and Harden eventually bailed -- Morey to Philadelphia, Harden to Brooklyn. Only, it turns out, they're like magnets. Morey stayed obsessed with reuniting -- and stopped at nothing to make it happe

He tried and failed to get Harden out of Houston with a package centered on Simmons a year ago, and was on the cusp of finally getting him out of Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon when Marks asked him to wait while he ran the deal by his owner, Joseph Tsai. A reasonable ask under most circumstances, but not after what they'd both been through with their troubled sta

Marks and the Nets had gone from believing Harden was the key to their championship dreams with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, to accepting that they were about to dismantle one of the greatest theoretical super teams after just 16 games played together in two seasons. They weren't happy Harden had gone from the superstar they could count on to the one who was bailing on them, but they also were realis

Marks and Morey have long been on friendly terms, having spent considerable time together in the NBA bubble in 2020. Most might be surprised that nothing became acrimonious in their conversations in recent days. They had proved to be risk-takers throughout their executive careers, and this was the rare risk that gave each team a chance to win a title and solved each other's considerable personnel problem

The Nets will always wonder what could've been had Durant, Irving and Harden been healthy for a full playoff run. But they wanted players who wanted to be there, and and Simmons was ecstatic to join them and restart his troubled career.

Marks stayed on the phone, told Morey that the Sixers had met the Nets' price, and the deal was done. Soon, the Sixers' conference room in Camden, New Jersey -- with GM Elton Brand and coach Doc Rivers at Morey's side -- were on the phone with Harden, celebrating something he and Harden had shared in a far different way a decade ago. Once more, James Harden was leaving Kevin Durant to join Daryl Morey. This time, Morey had Joel Embiid awaiting him.

For the better part of a decade everything in Philadelphia had revolved around The Process. This wasn't a process nor The Process though. It was a mutually beneficial mess that'll shape the NBA landscape for years to come.

Skooby · Feb 11, 2022

FROM THE MOMENT Harden reported to training camp this fall, the Nets knew they could have trouble. Durant arrived in San Diego at a world-class level, fresh off brilliant springtime playoffs and Summer Olympics performances and ready to commit to the Nets and his co-stars with a new extension for the next four years.

It was not reciprocal. Harden was heavy and out of shape, and intrigued with the idea of free agency for the first time in his career. Kyrie Irving wasn't interested in an extension, or willing to get vaccinated despite New York's mandate that precluded him from playing home games if he didn't.

Relationships with NBA stars can be delicate, but rarely are they mysterious. Little stays a secret within the NBA community, and Harden was quickly hedging on his future with the Nets, sources said. He kept telling Tsai and Marks he wanted to stay long term, but simultaneously started canvassing player agents for advice on an eventual exit strategy to Philadelphia.

Marks and Tsai spoke to Harden often, but he didn't provide them the counter information he had been feeding to those outside the organization.

"Don't believe any of the rumors," Harden would tell them. "If there's a problem, you'll hear from me directly."

Harden had a reputation as passive-aggressive rather than confrontational, and that was about to create real problems for Brooklyn. Organizations consider information to be the most important commodity of them all, and Harden's conversations with various agents and third parties returned to Brooklyn quickly -- which happens when you seek professional advice without paying for it.

Initially, Harden preferred the prospect of re-signing with the Nets in the summer because Brooklyn still had a chance to win this year, sources said. He could always force a trade later.

In that first season, Durant and Irving missed significant time, leaving Harden alone to shoulder the team's record. This year, Harden had struggled with his conditioning and offensive rule changes that no longer allowed him such easy access to the free throw line.

He had thrived as a lead scorer in Houston, but part of the reason he chose Brooklyn had been an understanding that his advancing age no longer left him capable of carrying outsized scoring expectations for protracted periods.

But co-stars can only help so much. They have to be available, first of all, but Harden also had to change his lifestyle and help himself. It wasn't lost on teammates that Harden continued his late-night social activities, especially on the Nets' last Western Conference trip this month. His play, often dispassionate and sloppy, culminated with a four-point performance in a loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Maybe Harden could maintain this lifestyle in his 20s, but it wasn't working now. For a player purporting to have a hand and hamstring injury, this wasn't inspiring confidence within a team in freefall.

All the signs of Harden's displeasure were evident, and a shutdown seemed underway. The Nets kept trusting Harden's assurances that he'd tell them if he no longer wanted to be there, trusting the idea that he'd turn around once Durant returned sometime after the late February All-Star break. He'd turned on them as quickly as he used to turn the corner on defenders. He could turn back just as quickly, they figured.

Finally, as Thursday's trade deadline neared, Harden spoke up and told Marks and Tsai that he preferred to play for the Sixers. For weeks, Harden hoped he could avoid the public backlash of asking out of his second franchise in consecutive years, but his passive-aggressiveness hadn't worked in selling the Nets on the idea they had to move him.

Over FaceTime calls, Harden told his GM and owner that he wanted a trade to Philadelphia, sources said.

The Nets told him that they would only make a deal that was good for the franchise. The Nets had unloaded significant assets to acquire him a year ago -- Cleveland's Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, four first-round draft picks and four pick swaps. Brooklyn couldn't reclaim all of that, but it needed a substantial return on a deadline trade with the Sixers and that would be difficult to do without other teams to leverage.

Harden told them he understood, and they agreed he wouldn't play until after Thursday's trade deadline. Harden had checked out on the organization, a reality made clearer when Harden informed them that he was returning to Houston on Wednesday to wait out the deadline, sources said. The Nets were traveling to Washington having lost their ninth game in a row.

Skooby · Feb 11, 2022

SIMMONS HAD BEEN waiting for his future to be settled for more than seven months and was prepared to wait even longer if the Sixers did not find a trade for him on Thursday.

Everyone in his life had encouraged him to try to play again after his playoff meltdown last year against the Atlanta Hawks and subsequent deterioration of his relationship with the Sixers. But he'd held firm to his conviction never to play in Philadelphia again, risking his reputation and over $20 million in fines to prove a poin

Over the past week, agent Rich Paul had been telling Simmons a deal for Harden was possible. In the hours before the trade, Simmons was still telling teammates that he was pessimistic on the chances. He spent Thursday at his home with his family, monitoring social media and news reports. Simmons had built the 10,000-foot mansion in suburban Moorestown, New Jersey, in 2019, the same year he'd agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension to stay with the Sixer

It was supposed to be his forever home. But a little over two years later, Simmons listed it for sale when he refused to report to Sixers training camp. When he returned to Philadelphia in October, he moved back in. But this was temporary housing. He'd stay until he was traded, whenever that was. Simmons never thought the process would take this long when he first asked the team to look for a trade last June. Paul had cautioned him that they had little leverage, and advised him against this strategy. But it was hard for anyone to conceive of how long and ugly the situation would go o

"Nobody really wins in terms of the day-to-day, because you're dealing with a lot of emotions," Paul said. "You're dealing with ego. You're dealing with stubbornness. But ultimately, we understand it's a business and we all got a job to do".

As the trade was nearing completion just 90 minutes before the deadline Thursday, Simmons spoke to Durant and the Nets' executives who spent the day hunkered in a meeting room to execute the trade. He is not a man of many words, but they could all hear the emotion in his voice as he thanked them for trading for him and believing in him.

There would be a less jubilant call on Thursday, and that was with Sixers coach Doc Rivers. In recent weeks, Simmons and Rivers had started speaking again, with conversations increasing in substance. Simmons had never gotten over what he perceived as a lack of public support from Rivers in the aftermath of his playoff meltdown to the Hawks. Throughout the summer, Rivers tried to reach him, but Simmons never responded to the many calls and texts. The final conversation Thursday covered no more of that ground, sources said. This seven-month saga had worn them out, and both were relieved it was over. They exchanged pleasantries, ended the call and both knew they would soon re-engage in what undoubtedly has escalated into the fiercest rivalry in the sport -- Sixers-Nets.

Simmons will take some time to move to Brooklyn and acclimate to his new team. He's planning to continue seeing his therapist and working on his mental health, Paul said. He hasn't played an NBA game since June, so it'll take some time to ramp up his conditioning. Yet now, he's planning to play this season -- which he insisted wouldn't have happened had the Sixers kept him past the trade deadline, sources said. Rivers has to start integrating Harden into the Sixers, which one coaching friend joked should elevate his status on the recently released NBA's Top 15 Coaches of All Time if he's successful. In other words, there will be challenges. But Rivers has always had a good relationship with Harden, and he appreciated that Harden had called to sell him on coaching the Rockets in the summer of 2020. After the Clippers fired Rivers, the Rockets tried to recruit him to Houston, after Mike D'Antoni left the team.

Rivers had heard the stories about Harden's reputation and mostly unchecked behavior in Houston, but figured if Harden was calling him, perhaps that meant he was open to being coached hard. He'll find out soon.

Rivers has been a part of several blockbuster trades in his coaching career, but he's never added a star of Harden's caliber in the middle of the season. In Boston, it took an entire season to bring Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett together to win the 2008 championship. In Los Angeles, he never found a formula to make the Lob City Clippers of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan achieve at a high level. Eight years later, he tried again with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but had just one pandemic-interrupted season before Clippers owner Steve Ballmer fired him.

Now, Rivers has one more fascinating coaching experiment: How will Harden fit alongside MVP-front-runner Joel Embiid? More than ever, Embiid has flourished as the unquestioned leader of the franchise. And now, here comes Morey's obsession: James Harden and his suspect track record with co-stars. He called for the collaborations with Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and traded each out faster than the last.

While there are obvious synergies to their games, there are also areas of concern. Harden and Embiid both need the ball and the spotlight to thrive. Embiid is beloved in Philadelphia; Harden is beloved by Morey.

Harden might not have a direct history with Embiid, but he has always respected him. He even pushed Morey to try and trade for him in Houston, sources said.

"James respects players who do a good job defending him," a source said. "And Joel has always done that."

All around the Sixers' locker room, there's a deep curiosity in how they'll mesh. Every set of eyes will be on Embiid and Harden when they step on the court together.

If Morey's burden was to deliver Harden to the franchise, it is now Rivers' burden to make it work on the floor. D'Antoni will assuredly lurk in people's minds until Rivers can make a deep run into the playoffs. Still, there was no fear in his voice when he addressed his staff on Thursday.

"Fortune favors the brave," Rivers told the Sixers.

And so started the Sixers' great experiment.

Essential The Official ESPN Insider Thread (ESPN+)

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