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NBA trade rumors: Is James Harden heading to Sixers for Ben Simmons? Philly fans lash out, say 'he's off limits'

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Sixers have made Simmons available in packages for 'The Beard'

The James Harden saga seems to have a new twist by the day. The Philadelphia 76ers are denying multiple reports that they have made their star player Ben Simmons available in talks to acquire Harden from the Houston Rockets. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Sixers have made Simmons available in packages for "The Beard". In his tweet, Charania wrote, "The Philadelphia 76ers have made Ben Simmons available in some packages with the Houston Rockets for James Harden, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium."

However, this was discarded by the Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, who was a former Rockets General Manager. "We are not trading Ben Simmons — he is an important part of our future," was his reply.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said trade talks between both sides have not come to any closure. He also added that Houston is looking beyond the Sixers and the Brooklyn Nets — two of Harden's preferred destinations. This news sparked debates on Twitter as fans expressed their views after Charania's tweet. "End the pain of Houston and get a Simmons for Him... once Morey became G.M. we all knew what was about to go down!!" read one of the tweets.

Some felt this was a bad idea. "76ers would be dumb if they made this trade. No guarantee that Harden will stay with the 76era when he becomes a free agent in 2022," reckoned one of the fans.

"If the @sixers trade @BenSimmons25 for @JHarden13 it will be in line with all the other terrible decisions they have done in the past... #CharlesBarkley #MosesMalone #WiltChamberlain #AllenIverson #DontDoIt #ChangeHistory #SimmonsIsMoreValuable #NBA #76ers #JumpshotAwayFromSuperb," seconded another.

"What part of @JoelEmbiid @BenSimmons25 and @MatisseThybulle are off limits don’t the @sixers understand!?" asked a fan.

"James Harden is soft and this just proves it. Couldn’t handle the stress of playing against the Chicago Bulls and had to run away. Where are you going, James? They’re going to find you regardless. Doesn’t matter who you play for or when you return to action. The Bulls will win," read one of the tweets.

"I'm saying this now if Ben Simmons comes to Houston, and isn't taxed with being a full-time PG anymore. I'm telling you he's so talented and I think it's sometimes wasted because he's running the offense then standing. If he's off the ball he becomes more of a Swiss-army-knife," read a comment.

What are your thoughts on a Harden-Simmons trade?