NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers unwilling to include breakout star in a deal for Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden 

NBA trade rumors suggest the Philadelphia 76ers could strike a deal to acquire James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline. The Sixers have been looking to move Ben Simmons since the offseason and have been keeping an eye on Harden's situation with the Nets.

The guard seems unhappy with Brooklyn's recent results and Kyrie Irving's part-time availability and could be on his way out before he tests free agency in the offseason. Philadelphia remains a strong suitor because of GM Daryl Morey's relationship with the former Rockets superstar. They also have tradeable assets such as Ben Simmons and other young players to make a deal go through.

However, Michael K-B of CBS Sports has reported that the Philadelphia 76ers will be unwilling to include upcoming star Tyrese Maxey in any potential deal for James Harden.

"The #Sixers will not include Tyrese Maxey in any potential deals with the #Nets for James Harden prior to the trade deadline, per a league source with team knowledge," reported Michael K-B on Twitter.

Maxey made a giant leap in his sophomore year. The 21-year-old is averaging 16.9 points and 4.8 assists on a 47/40/86 shooting split. He has been instrumental in helping the Sixers stay afloat in the absence of starting point guard Ben Simmons.

NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing why the Philadelphia 76ers should keep Tyrese Maxey out of any deal for Brooklyn Nets star James Harden

Tyrese Maxey in action during Philadelphia 76ers v Brooklyn Nets

The 76ers seem to have struck gold with their #21 pick from the 2020 draft, Tyrese Maxey. He has been important to their setup this year and could turn out to be one of the best point guards shortly.

There is a tremendous upside to his talent. The Sixers will certainly want to keep him because of his age and how vital he can be in capitalizing on Joel Embiid's prime years. Maxey's sophomore year leap is a great testament to how much he could improve over the next few years, something the Philadelphia 76ers must have considered.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn Nets star Harden is 32-years-old now and won't fetch the same value a few years later, compared to what the Sixers would potentially invest in him right now. So including a high-potential player like Maxey in a deal with a direct rival doesn't seem like a wise decision.