The two star guards each reportedly expressed discontent with their former teams.
Following a months-long holdout, the Philadelphia 76ers granted guard Ben Simmons the trade he demanded, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for fellow disgruntled guard James Harden, who had also reportedly wanted a change of scenery—a seismic shift in the Eastern Conference that leaves no clear championship favorite. To obtain Harden, the Nets sent promising young players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert to Houston in January 2021, along with three first-round draft picks and four pick-swaps, essentially sacrificing their future in a sweeping attempt to win a championship with a core of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
