The Nets have agreed to trade guard James Harden, a former Most Valuable Player Award winner, to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package centered on Ben Simmons, the former All-Star point guard who has not played this season for personal reasons, according to two people with knowledge of the deal who were not authorized to speak publicly.
ESPN was the first to report the news. The deal was expected to be completed Thursday evening.
The stunning trade brings about a sudden and unexpected end to the superstar grouping of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Harden, who were, on paper, leading one of the most talented teams ever.