Philadelphia 76ers Odds Update: A Look at the 76ers' Championship Odds After Trading for James Harden
Philadelphia 76ers Odds Update: A Look at the 76ers' Championship Odds After Trading for James Harden
Philadelphia 76ers fans can rejoice. Finally, they were able to trade away Ben Simmons and not only did they do that, but they also got a star player in James Harden in return. Sure, Philly sent a ton back to Brooklyn to land the nine-time all-star but the Ben Simmons saga is finally over.
Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Harden is going to the 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks.
The 76ers are getting a guy who is averaging 22.5 points per game and 10.2 assists to come in and be the running mate with Joe Embiid. Embiid is averaging nearly 30 points a game and adding Harden's skillset will certainly be intriguing for the 76ers. What they are losing is a headache, from Simmons at least.
Simmons was the first overall pick from 2016, and they trusted the process as long as they could with him before their patience ran out. They mortgaged the future with two first-rounders going Brooklyn's way as well but where they are in their contending window, it was likely a necessary sacrifice.
Here's a look at their odds after striking the deal with Brooklyn:
Philadelphia 76ers Championship Odds
| Odds | Implied Chance | |
|---|---|---|
| Before Trade | +1200 | 7.69% |
| After Trade | +550 | 15.38% |
Click here for NBA Championship Odds
The 76ers odds have skyrocketed up since the deal. Oddsmakers gave them roughly an eight percent chance to win the title and now that is up over 15 percent with the latest moves.
Clearly, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid was not going to work out so Philly was forced to pivot. They brought in a higher ceiling player in order to go out and try to win a championship, you can't fault them for it just look at how much their odds improved after the decision.
Philadelphia is currently fifth in the Eastern Conference as it stands today, but this move should help move them up the standings. How ironic would it be if these two teams met up in the postseason? Now that would be some drama.