“We could be possibly looking at the next version of Kobe and Shaq” - Kendrick Perkins excited by potential of Harden and Embiid, believes Philadelphia 76ers won trade

The Philadelphia 76ers have ultimately put an end to their Ben Simmons problem, trading him for former MVP James Harden. The trade, finalized at the deadline Thursday, saw the 76ers also trade Seth Curry and Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets.

The trade has been received with mixed feelings, with some believing the Nets won the trade. The acquisition of Curry and Drummond guarantees more depth to the Nets' roster. It also promises more versatility, with Curry's 3-point prowess and Simmons' defense.

Others think the 76ers won the trade, boosting their chances of becoming the Eastern Conference champions and possibly winning the title. The signing of Harden promises an electric pairing with their big man, Joel Embiid.

Kendrick Perkins believes strongly in the latter, comparing the players to the magnificent duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

"On Christmas day without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant against the Los Angeles Lakers, James Harden went for 36-10-10 with the win," Perkins said. "Two days later against the Clippers, James Harden went for 39-15-8. So, I don't want to hear about James Harden game is declining, no!

"He just didn't want to be there. He didn't want to be in their culture. Now, you add James Harden with the big Embiid, we could be possibly looking at the next version of Kobe and Shaq. But Philly won this trade, hands down!"

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Kendrick Perkins comes to James Harden's defense, believes the Philadelphia 76ers made a great deal

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers hugs Tobias Harris after defeating the Sacramento Kings January 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia 76ers (32-22) are fifth in the Eastern Conference. As they look to go further this season than last season (Eastern semifinals), the 76ers secured the services of Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden.

The 76ers' headliner, Joel Embiid, leads the league in scoring average, with 29.4 points per game. He also leads in free throws made and is one of the strongest contenders for the MVP title. Philadelphia's Harden-Embiid combination is definitely one nobody imagined feasible, but it is very much a deadly combo.

Fans and the media have been excited about the possibility since the trade news broke. But there have been some concerns. Speaking about the idea that the 32-year-old Harden is starting to decline, Perkins explained why Harden wasn't at his best.

"I get it," Perkins said. "Everybody saying, 'Oh, he doesn't look like the James Harden of old' and things to that nature. But the fact of the matter is that, the reason he didn't look that way is because James Harden didn't want to play with Kyrie Irving.

"Because Kyrie Irving don't get held accountable by Steve Nash when they have film rolls but James Harden does. That's why we saw some instances of James Harden fading away in the fourth quarter and wasn't aggressive, because Steve Nash was telling him certain shots or certain looks wasn't good looks, but wasn't telling the same thing to Kyrie Irving."