Knicks fans should enjoy after effects of Nets-Sixers blockbuster trade
The Feb. 10 trade deadline came and went without the New York Knicks making a major move. A couple of weeks before that, New York traded for Cam Reddish, so while the team had made a deal, it was expected that the Knicks would be active before the deadline.
Before the day of the deadline, New York had lost four-straight games and hadn’t won a contest since Jan. 31. The Knicks beat the Warriors on Feb. 10, but that was after the 5 p.m. ET cut-off.
It’s clear why many thought that New York would trade for a player or two, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Brooklyn and Philadelphia made the most noise with a James Harden-Ben Simmons trade.
The blockbuster trade was supposed to propel both teams into a deep playoff run, with the hopes of one of them being crowned champions, but that outlook is looking bleak. The failures of the Nets and Sixers have somehow made the Knicks look better.
New York Knicks fans can have a good laugh about the Nets and Sixers.
If any Brooklyn and Philadelphia fans are reading this, yes, New York didn’t make the playoffs. That much is obvious. But let’s not forget that the Knicks weren’t labeled as contenders, although New York should’ve been able to make it to the play-in tournament at the very least.
The Nets were the preseason title favorites, but instead got swept by the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Simmons was expected to make his season debut in Game 4, but the day before he reportedly awoke with back soreness.
It was reported on Wednesday that he would be undergoing back surgery on Thursday. There’s a chance that he could never play a game for Brooklyn.
To define the Nets’ situation simply, two years of Kevin Durant’s prime have been wasted.
The Sixers are still in the playoffs but are down 0-2 to the Heat. Joel Embiid was out for the first two games of the series with a concussion and broken orbital bone and he’s currently listed as out for Game 3. Philadelphia was dealt a tough blow, but Harden should be able to lead the Sixers to a win, right?
Wrong. With Embiid out, Harden isn’t even the best player on the team. Tyrese Maxey is. In Monday’s 106-92 loss, Harden finished with 16 points (5-of-13 from the field, 2-of-7 from the 3-point line) and 5 turnovers. In Wednesday’s 119-103 loss, he had 20 points (6-of-15 from the floor, 1-of-5 from the 3-point line).
Harden’s due for a maximum extension this summer, but with the way that he’s performed with Philadelphia, the Sixers should tread lightly about offering him one.
If Philadelphia goes on to lose the series (hopefully in a sweep), the Sixers’ front office will have to hit the drawing board once again this offseason. That process has already begun in Brooklyn.
There’s a lot that the Knicks could and need to do this summer to be viewed as a contender, but in retrospect, at least New York chose to not do anything before the Feb. 10 deadline instead of absolutely botching it. Things could be worse.
