The 76ers tried to negotiate for James Harden, allegedly offering Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle before the Rockets sent Harden to the Nets.
How close did Philadelphia get?
Keith Pompeu of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
But the Sixers thought they had closed a deal for Harden, according to sources. The team won’t come out and say that, but Morey struggled to meet with the 2018 MVP. Simmons and Thybulle were even informed by their agents on Wednesday of an expected negotiation.
Another league source said the Rockets never called on the Sixers for a counter offer before closing the successful deal with four teams that sent Harden to Brooklyn.
Does this support the Rockets owner’s theory, Tilman Fertitta, refused to move Harden to Philadelphia, where former Houston general manager Daryl Morey now works?
Perhaps.
Morey has a reputation for not alerting players to possible moves. Telling Simmons and Thybulle that they expected a deal would be a strong sign that the 76ers really expected a deal to be completed.
But maybe Morey is trying to change his reputation. He resolutely declared that Philadelphia would not trade Simmons. This situation may have led him to keep his players on the possibility of a trade.
It is also common for one team to believe that an exchange is close when the other team does not share this view.
Houston not receiving a counter offer from the 76ers would be a little revealing. But perhaps the Nets made a take-or-leave offer as a negotiating tactic and the Rockets felt they should take it immediately. Likewise, it is possible that Houston – after long conversations with Philadelphia – knew that the 76ers would not accept Brooklyn’s offer.
So, I wouldn’t say that the Rockets played in Philadelphia. Houston just accepted a different, arguably better offer.