Nets NBA Title Odds Fade to +420 After Completing Ben Simmons for James Harden Trade

• The Brooklyn Nets have swung a mega trade, dealing James Harden to the 76ers for Ben Simmons
• Brooklyn’s NBA title odds have faded to +420 following the blockbuster
• Are they a worthwhile wager with Harden moving on and the team on a losing streak?

Two disgruntled stars got their wish on NBA trade deadline day, as James Harden was shipped to his preferred destination in Philadelphia, and Ben Simmons is headed to Brooklyn. With the Nets mired in a brutal nine-game losing streak, which has seen them drop to eighth in the east, Harden wanted out. He’ll now be reunited with 76ers president Daryl Morey, who oversaw his rise to superstardom in Houston.

Simmons, meanwhile, hasn’t played the entire season in a dispute with the Sixers front office and citing mental health issues. The former #1 pick in the 2016 draft will head to Brooklyn along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, along with draft picks.

Despite their losing skid, Brooklyn still occupies the top spot in the NBA Championship odds at +420, even though their ‘big three’ consists of an injured Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, who can’t play home games due to his vaccination status, and Simmons, who hasn’t suited up all season. Are they worth betting on at their current price, when they were at +250 to win before the deal?

NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of February 10th at FanDuel

After the deal, the 76ers have the fifth shortest odds to win the championship, and third shortest among Eastern Conference teams.

Should Nets Still Be Championship Favorites?

From the Brooklyn Nets perspective, this trade will hurt, at least in the short term, as Harden and his 22.5 points per game will head to division rival Philly. They’re already without the services of Kevin Durant, and there is no timetable for when he will be back with the squad (though he was told 4-6 weeks in mid January). Kyrie Irving can only play road games, and Simmons’ might not be ready to play just yet.

Ben Simmons will continue to work with his therapist to get mentally ready to play in Brooklyn. “It’s a work in progress,” according to one source close to him. But he’s thrilled with the change of scenery and has already spoken to Kevin Durant. https://t.co/rVpErjw5Oa

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 10, 2022

The Nets were just the eleventh highest scoring team in the association, and that was before they traded away ten-time all-star Harden. Even if Simmons does come back in short order, he’s not known to be a prolific scorer, so Brooklyn is in need of KD’s return from his knee injury.

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving only played 16 games together. They went 13-3. pic.twitter.com/jIzNo6PAHO

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2022

Some of the loss will be mitigated by Seth Curry, who is a 15-point a game player, and Andre Drummond, who isn’t the player he used to be, but can carve out a role and be helpful.

However, they’re still reeling in a huge way, losing nine straight by an average of 14.4 points per contest. They’re four and a half games behind Cleveland for 4th in the East (and 5.5 back of top seeded Miami). They have to pass the likes of Philly, Toronto and Boston, who have won seven and six in a row respectively. It’ll be tough sledding for them to not only go on a run, but have hot teams also all falter.

76ers Bring In Motivated Harden

No matter how you slice it, it’s not a good look for James Harden to have asked out of two franchises in the last two years. That should provide him with that extra motivation and chip on his shoulder to join a team that has won 16 of their last 22 games after an inauspicious 16-16 start.

As part of deal, new 76ers star James Harden is opting into his $47.3 million player option on contract for next season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2022

Philly didn’t have Simmons all season anyway, so it’s hard to view this as anything but a win for them, at least from the perspective of on court product. Should Harden gel well with Embiid, this could be a scary force to be reckoned with as the season draws to a close.