With Harden-Simmons swap, Nets make move Lakers didn’t

In swapping James Harden for Ben Simmons, the Brooklyn Nets decided they needed to act now as they slide down the standings.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t do the same.

A number of deals were made Thursday before the NBA’s trade deadline, topped by the blockbuster between the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Just 13 months after acquiring Harden, Brooklyn sent him to a division rival.

Kristaps Porzingis was also on the move, going from Dallas to a Washington team that was busy before the trade deadline. Most of the deals were still pending NBA approval.

In Brooklyn, Harden seemed to have soured on the situation with Kevin Durant hurt and Kyrie Irving only playing in home games because he won’t get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The trade gives the Nets a chance to turn things around.

“I feel like we’ve got versatile players so we’ll have to figure it out and figure out what works for us,” Durant said during an interview on TNT. “But I’m just happy that we got guys that want to be a part of this.”

The Nets have lost nine straight games, tumbling to eighth place in the tightly contested Eastern Conference.

That’s one spot ahead of where the struggling Lakers are in the West. Los Angeles seems in desperate need of a move after falling to 26-30 with consecutive losses, getting handled easily by defending champion Milwaukee and falling to rebuilding Portland.

But the Lakers didn’t make any, raising the question of how they plan to move forward. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have battled injuries and Russell Westbrook has been so inconsistent that he’s been benched down the stretch of some games.

Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said he was expecting the same for his team, having previously said the Nets weren’t planning to deal Harden. But the team’s situation was getting worse, with Harden missing the past three games with a hamstring injury and playing poorly.

In moving the three-time scoring champion, the Nets addressed some of their needs. Simmons is a top defender who can guard multiple positions despite his offensive shortcomings and not having played this season while seeking a trade.

Seth Curry gives Brooklyn outside shooting it’s missed with Joe Harris out following ankle surgery. Andre Drummond could start or play a key role off the bench for a team that has mostly played small.

Also, the Toronto Raptors got veteran forward Thaddeus Young from San Antonio, sending Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to the Spurs.