NBA Rumors: Sixers, Nets' James Harden Trade Talks Haven't Gone Far?

A couple of weeks ago, there was a report that the Brooklyn Nets would not consider listening to offers for James Harden ahead of the February 10 trade deadline. Rumors of the Nets' unwillingness to listen to trade offers came when it became clear the Sixers planned to pursue him this summer.

Fast forward to this past Friday night, and it seemed everything had changed. With Kevin Durant sidelined due to an injury and Kyrie Irving playing part-time, the Nets have consistently struggled lately.

Harden's frustrations are loud and clear. Nobody is denying Harden isn't happy. And as frustration looms in Brooklyn, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Nets, who were once reluctant to discuss a possible Harden trade, have changed their stance and are suddenly open to listening to offers.

After that rumor made its way through the league for a few days, it seemed that there could be a real chance that some sort of Ben Simmons, James Harden blockbuster trade could actually happen ahead of the deadline.

But on Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne revealed that although the Sixers and the Nets discussed a Harden trade -- the talks were brief -- and they went nowhere.

Shot Down

Per Wojnarowski and Shelburne's report, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey called Brooklyn's General Manager Sean Marks last month to get a read on where they are at with Harden. Right away, Morey realized that the chances of landing Harden this season were slim to none.

"What about James?" Morey asked Marks, according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne. When the Nets GM realized Morey was talking about James Harden, Morey received a hard no. While later reports have suggested that the Nets' stance has changed, Wojnarowski mentioned that talks "could" heat up this week -- but they haven't.

"However brief the conversation, messages were delivered in each direction: The Sixers planned a pursuit of Harden, and the Nets had no intention of surrender.

"With three days to go until the trade deadline, this is where the dialogue has remained. Yes, Morey could still pick up the phone and call Marks this week. The Sixers’ ownership group have a strong relationship with Nets owner Joe Tsai, so communication can happen on that level, too."

A lot can change in the next few days -- especially if James Harden formally requests a trade from Brooklyn. However, the star guard continues to commit to the Nets known behind the scenes, which is bad news for Morey and the Sixers.

Unless Harden switches his stance privately or publicly, the star guard will more than likely ride out the rest of the season in Brooklyn with hopes that they can pull it all together for a playoff push.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.