NBA Trade Rumors: Top Buzz on James Harden and More as 2022 Deadline Approaches

NBA trade season is off and running, as Tuesday proved teams don't have to wait for Thursday's deadline to make major moves.

The New Orleans Pelicans picked up CJ McCollum. The Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers brokered a six-player swap sending Domantas Sabonis to Northern California and Tyrese Haliburton to the Circle City. This followed on the heels of weekend deals that sent Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers and both Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers.

This frenzy of activity could continue, due to the close playoff races in both conferences and the fact that few teams are slated to have significant spending money in free agency.

The rumor mill is as busy as you'd expect, so let's dissect some of the latest discussions.

Think this deadline has already exhausted its supply of wild twists and turns? Think again.

The oft-discussed mega-swap of James Harden and Ben Simmons "absolutely [has] a chance" of going down before the deadline, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

With both the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers hoping to escape the Eastern Conference, this internet-breaking blockbuster is fascinating from all angles. It's entirely plausible that, if this deal does go down, one of the teams involved could inadvertently stamp the other's ticket to the NBA Finals.

The Nets need a defensive jolt, and Simmons ranks among the best in the business at that end. The Sixers need a perimeter shot-creator and offensive co-star for Joel Embiid, and Harden happens to be a three-time scoring champ.

There's a reason this rumor won't go away, and even if it doesn't take place by Thursday's 3 p.m. ET cutoff, this chatter could continue into the offseason.

Tyrese Maxey wasn't a starter for the Sixers last season. He wasn't typically a point guard, either.

Now, the 21-year-old is both of those things, and despite the dramatic job change—he went from averaging 7.0 shots in 15.3 minutes to 13.5 in 35.8—he has seemingly avoided even the slightest stumble.

Beyond maybe a lack of passing volume (understandable for a non-natural floor general), it's hard to find flaws in his numbers, which include 16.9 points, 4.8 assists against just 1.2 turnovers and a tidy 47.5/40.7/86.7 shooting slash.

Theoretically, the Kentucky alum could have become a tremendous trade chip for Philadelphia, but that would mean the team is willing to give him up. It's not. In fact, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor relayed that he is "totally off the table."

Now, this report was made as part of a larger Harden-Simmons swap, so it technically isn't clear whether Maxey is off-limits in that exchange or just untouchable in general.

Reading between the lines, though, if Harden—a nine-time All-Star and former MVP—isn't a rich enough prize to pry Maxey loose, it seems likely no one is.

The Sixers can't broker a straight-up swap of Simmons for Harden. The money alone doesn't work, and that's before factoring in things like the latter's superior name recognition and accolades.

Philadelphia needs to add something to its offer to make the money work, and it has some interesting potential sweeteners in Maxey, Matisse Thybulle and Seth Curry. According to O'Connor, though, veteran Danny Green "is more likely to be included" than that trio.

Maxey seemingly already has the "untouchable" tag attached to him. Curry fills a critical role for this offense, and Thybulle checks an important box as a perimeter stopper. It's understandable why the Sixers want to keep all three out of the exchange.

Would the Nets bite on a package built around Simmons and Green? Only their front office knows, although Green offers more than salary-filler. He has championship experience, a reliable three-ball and the ability to hold his own in most defensive matchups.

The 34-year-old is not a needle-mover, but for a team as close to championship contention as Brooklyn, he could hold significant appeal.