Sixers trade Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and draft picks to Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard/forward Ben Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two future first round draft picks in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for guard James Harden and forward Paul Millsap.

In a related transaction, the Nets have requested waivers on forward DeAndre’ Bembry.

“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion,” Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said. “We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”

In the trade, Philadelphia sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick to Brooklyn. The 2027 first-round pick is protected for selections 1-8. Should it not convey in 2027, it becomes a 2028 first-round pick, protected selections 1-8. If the pick does not convey in the first round of the 2028 NBA Draft, it becomes a 2028 second-round pick and cash consideration.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said. “Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.

“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead. We appreciate everything that James has done for our organization both on and off the court and wish him, Paul and DeAndre’ the best moving forward.”

A three-time NBA All-Star (2019-21) and All-NBA Third Team selection in 2020, Simmons (6’10”, 240) has appeared in and started 275 career games in four seasons with Philadelphia, registering averages of 15.9 points on 56.0 percent shooting from the field, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Simmons is a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team performer (2020 and 2021) and led the league in steals per game (2.1) in the 2019-20 season. The 25-year-old Simmons is one of just five players in NBA history to total 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists within their first four seasons, joining Grant Hill, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. He has also seen action in 34 playoff games across three postseason appearances, recording averages of 13.9 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.1 minutes per contest. Simmons was originally selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Philadelphia and secured Rookie of the Year honors after a standout first season with the 76ers. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Simmons spent one year (2015-16) at Louisiana State University, earning consensus first-team All-America honors, All-SEC First Team honors and the SEC Freshman of the Year award.

Curry (6’1”, 192) has appeared in 358 career games (180 starts) in eight seasons with Philadelphia, Dallas, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Memphis and Cleveland, recording averages of 11.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field, 43.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 85.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. He has seen action in 45 games this season with the 76ers, posting averages of 15.0 points (a career high) on 48.5 percent shooting from the field, 40.0 percent shooting from distance and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 34.8 minutes per contest. Across the last four seasons (2018-22), the 31-year-old Curry has shot 43.9 percent from 3-point range, second among all players (minimum 1,000 attempts), trailing only Joe Harris (45.8 percent). Curry also ranks fifth in NBA history in career 3-point percentage, trailing only Harris (43.9 percent) among active players. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Curry went undrafted in 2013 after playing collegiately at Liberty (2008-09) and Duke (2010-13), where he earned All-ACC First Team honors in his final collegiate season.

Drummond (6’10”, 280) has appeared in 694 games (606 starts) across 10 seasons with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit, recording averages of 13.9 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, 13.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game. In 49 games (12 starts) with the 76ers this season, Drummond has posted averages of 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 18.4 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old is a two-time All-Star (2016 and 2018), an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2016 and a four-time league leader in rebounds (2016, 2018-20). Among active players, Drummond ranks fourth in rebounds (9,272) and second in offensive rebounds (3,160). His career rebounds per game average is tops among all active players and 10th in NBA history. The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending one year (2011-12) at the University of Connecticut, where he earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors.

For his career, Harden has appeared in 921 games (707 starts) with Brooklyn, Houston and Oklahoma City and holds averages of 25.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The only non-active NBA players ever to average at least 25-5-6 for a career are Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Harden’s 67 triple-doubles rank eighth all-time in NBA history.

Harden was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021 by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters.

This season, with the Nets, Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists (second in the NBA) in 37.0 minutes per contest across 44 games (all starts), making him the only player this season with such averages. Harden has recorded nine triple-doubles, tied for the third-most in the league this season. He’s also registered 29 double-doubles, tied for the sixth-most in the league this season and the most among guards.

Earlier this month, Harden was named to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his 10th career selection. His streak of 10 consecutive All-Star selections is the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

Prior to joining the Nets in January 2021, Harden spent parts of nine seasons (2012-21) with the Rockets. During that time, Harden was named the 2017-18 NBA MVP after leading the NBA in points per game (30.4) and finishing third in assists (8.8). He was also among the top-three vote-getters for the award each season from 2016-20. Harden ended his Houston career as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers (2,029), free throws (5,554) and assists (4,796) while ranking second in team history with 18,365 total points and third with 1,087 steals.

Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champion (2018-20) is one of four players in league history to have multiple seasons averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. He’s in the midst of the third such season of his career. The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (five times) and Hall of Famers Magic Johnson (three times) and Oscar Robertson (five times). His 36.1 points per game average in 2018-19 was the second-highest by any player since the start of the 1970-71 season, behind only Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s average of 37.1 in 1986-87.

In his 13th NBA season, Harden was initially drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft where he went on to play three seasons and captured the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011-12.

Prior to entering the NBA, Harden spent two years (2007-09) at Arizona State, earning All-Pac-10 First Team honors twice and earning consensus first-team All-America honors. He was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year in his second and final collegiate season, leading the Sun Devils to a 25-10 record while averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Millsap has appeared in 1,076 career games (745 starts) across 16 NBA seasons with Brooklyn, Denver, Atlanta and Utah, recording averages of 13.5 points on .489 shooting from the floor, .341 from three-point range and .736 from the free-throw line, along with 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.

This season with the Nets, Millsap appeared in 24 games and averaged 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest. Millsap’s teams have qualified for the postseason 12 times in his 15 NBA seasons, and he’s played in 129 total playoff games (75 starts) with averages of 12.2 points, while shooting .457 from the field, along with 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27.5 minutes per contest.

Millsap was originally selected by Utah with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. After seven seasons with the Jazz, he signed with Atlanta where he was named an All-Star in four consecutive seasons, as he averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. In 2015-16, Millsap was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team when he was the only NBA player to rank in the top 15 in both steals and blocks per game. For his career, he’s totaled 1,322 steals and 1,043 blocks, making him one of 10 players in NBA history to post at least 1,300 and 1,000. Millsap played his college basketball at Louisiana Tech University where he became the only player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in rebounds in three consecutive seasons.

Bembry appeared in 48 games (20 starts) this season, recording averages of 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.8 minutes per game after signing as a free agent with the Nets on Aug. 8, 2021. In 288 career games (55 starts) across six seasons with Brooklyn, Toronto and Atlanta, Bembry has averaged 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.4 minutes per contest.

Nuggets sign DeMarcus Cousins to 10-day contract

The Denver Nuggets have signed center DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Cousins, 6-10, 270, has appeared in five games with Denver this season, averaging 6.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.2 minutes per game while helping the Nuggets to a 5-0 record in those games. He previously appeared in 17 games (five starts) for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, averaging 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field in 16.9 minutes per game. Cousins scored 10+ points in six games and posted two double-doubles in his stint with Milwaukee.

The 10-year NBA veteran has played in 628 career games (559 starts) with Sacramento, New Orleans, Golden State, Houston, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee and Denver, holding career averages of 20.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. Cousins has reached the playoffs twice, in 2019 and 2021, appearing in 15 games (five starts), averaging 7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12.7 minutes.

The fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Cousins was selected to four all-star games as a member of the Sacramento Kings (2015-17) and New Orleans Pelicans (2018). He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2015 and 2016 and he was a gold medal winner for the United States in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, as well as the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Wizards assistant coach Mike Batiste suspended

Washington Wizards assistant coach Mike Batiste has been suspended two games without pay by the NBA for entering the spectator stands in an attempt to confront a fan, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

The incident occurred with 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Wizards’ 121-100 loss to the Miami Heat on Feb. 7 at Capital One Arena. Batiste will begin serving his suspension tonight when the Wizards play host to the Brooklyn Nets.

Wizards trade Aaron Holiday to Suns

The Washington Wizards have acquired cash considerations in a trade with the Phoenix Suns for guard Aaron Holiday. The trade also generated a trade exception for the Wizards.

Holiday (6-0, 185), has appeared in 41 games (14 starts) for Washington this season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. He holds career averages of 7.4 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 223 games (55 starts) over four NBA seasons with Indiana and Washington. Holiday was originally acquired by the Wizards in a five-team trade with Indiana, Los Angeles, Brooklyn and San Antonio on August 6, 2021.

Four-team NBA trade sends Donte DiVincenzo to Kings, Marvin Bagley III to Pistons

The Sacramento Kings have acquired guard Donte DiVincenzo (DEE-vin-chen-zo) from the Milwaukee Bucks, forward Josh Jackson and forward Trey Lyles from the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team trade that will send Marvin Bagley III to Detroit.

“We are pleased to bring Donte, Josh and Trey here to Sacramento,” said Kings General Manager Monte McNair. “Adding shooting, defense and versatility to our team are very valuable as we continue to build. We would also like to thank Marvin Bagley III and wish him all the best in the future.”

In his fourth season out of Villanova, DiVincenzo has accrued career averages of 8.8 points (.424 FG%, .343 3pt%, .745 FT%), 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 23.2 minutes per game in 176 games (90 starts) for the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-22) and was a member of the 2021 NBA Championship team.

A University of Kansas product, Jackson has averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 23.6 minutes per game in 279 career games (92 starts) in five seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2017-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2019-20) and Detroit Pistons (2020-22).

During the 2021-22 season, Lyles is posting a career-high 10.4 points (.456 FG%, .784 FT%) to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 19.4 minutes per game in 51 games and three starts for Detroit. A six-year veteran out of Kentucky, Lyles has garnered a career average of 7.6 points (.438 FG%, .336 3pt%, .726 FT%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 425 games (106 starts) with four teams: Utah Jazz (2015-16), Denver Nuggets (2017-19), San Antonio Spurs (2019-21) and Detroit (2021-22).

In subsequent moves, the Kings have requested waivers on Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II.

Four-team NBA trade sends Serge Ibaka to Bucks

The LA Clippers have completed a four-team trade with the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. As part of the deal, the Clippers acquired Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye from Milwaukee, as well as the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento. Milwaukee received Serge Ibaka and cash considerations from the Clippers. The Kings received the draft rights to David Michineau from the Clippers.

Ibaka, 32, appeared in 35 games this season for the Clippers, averaging 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center has appeared in 884 games and owns career averages of 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 13 NBA seasons with the Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the NBA, he played professionally in Spain for three seasons (2006-09).

“Serge is one of the best rim protectors of his era and we are grateful to have had him with us for the past two seasons,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “We all saw the tremendous amount of work he put into his recovery from back surgery. He was determined to contribute this season, and he did, providing valuable shooting and defense.”

Hood, 29, appeared in 39 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Originally selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke University, Hood has appeared in 435 career games with the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors and Bucks, averaging 10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The Meridian, Miss., native has also played in 44 postseason contests, averaging 7.9 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Ojeleye, 27, has played in 20 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes. The Overland Park, Kans., native has appeared in 274 career games with the Boston Celtics and Bucks, averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. The 37th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he was the AAC Player of the Year from Southern Methodist University in 2017.

Wizards trade Montrezl Harrell to Hornets

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has acquired center Montrezl Harrell from the Washington Wizards in exchange for center Vernon Carey Jr., guard Ish Smith and the Boston Celtics’ 2023 second-round pick, which is top-45 protected.

“Ish returns to us as a respected veteran leader who can guide our young players as we continue to compete over the stretch run of the season,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “Vernon is a talented young player who can build on his brief but promising NBA experience while continuing to develop within our system.”

In his seventh NBA season, Harrell is averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 46 games, including three starts, for the Washington Wizards. The Tarboro, NC, native ranks fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (64.5%) this season and is averaging 9.8 points in the paint per game, which ranks first among NBA reserves (25th overall). In his 43 appearances off the bench this season, Harrell is averaging 13.7 points per game, which is good for the sixth-highest scoring average among NBA reserves.

The 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Harrell holds career averages of 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per game in 433 total games with the Rockets (2015-17), Clippers (2017-20), Lakers (2020-21) and Wizards (2021-22). He currently ranks fourth in NBA history in career field goal percentage (61.9%) and has finished in the top ten league-wide in field goal percentage in each of the last four seasons. The University of Louisville product was selected 32nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Carey appeared in 23 career games for the Hornets over the course of two seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game after being selected 32nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Duke University.

Smith appeared in 37 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game after signing with Charlotte as a free agent on Aug. 7, 2021. For his career, the North Carolina native and Wake Forest product holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game over 691 appearances (167 starts) with Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington and Charlotte.

Thunder sign Lindy Waters III to two-way contract, and waive Paul Watson Jr.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed guard Lindy Waters III to a Two-Way Contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

In a separate transaction, the Thunder has waived forward Paul Watson Jr.

Waters III (6-6, 215) has appeared in 28 games (14 starts) for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this season and averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.11 steals in 19.9 minutes per game. He is shooting 48.8 percent from beyond the arc during the regular season, which ranks fourth in the G League.

The Norman, Okla. native played four seasons at Oklahoma State University where he appeared in 121 games (104 starts) and averaged 9.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. He earned second team Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2020 and ended his career as just the 11th OSU player to record at least 1,000 points, 250 assists and 100 steals.