Chris Paul and Joel Embiid have been named the NBA's Players of the Week for Week 15 (Jan. 24-30).

Paul averaged 22.3 points, 12.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns went 4-0.

Embiid averaged 34.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers went 3-0.

The Sacramento Kings have ended their pursuit of a trade for Ben Simmons and will turn elsewhere in the market to upgrade their team.

The trade deadline is on Feb. 10th and the Kings believe the asking price from the Philadelphia 76ers is too exorbitant. 

Sacramento has several trade assets in Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield and Richaun Holmes.

The Sacramento roster represented one of Philadelphia's most viable options for a trade.

The chances of the 76ers taking the Simmons' situation into the offseason has undoubtedly increased without the presence of the Kings.

Simmons is signed through the 2024-25 season, and the Sixers believe that gives them leverage to wait on a deal.

Despite recent reporting that the Brooklyn Nets won't entertain a James Harden trade before next month's deadline, speculation continues that Harden will join the Philadelphia 76ers as soon as this offseason. And the reasons for that are starting to stray into tampering and collusion territory.

Harden is known to be close friends with Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin. Rival front offices believe that the two have been talking about Harden joining Philadelphia as a free agent this offseason. And those teams are prepared to ask the NBA to look into possible tampering and collusion on the part of Harden, Rubin and the 76ers.

Harden's future in Brooklyn has been under question since he did not sign an extension earlier this past offseason. With a player option for the 2022-23 season, Harden has a great deal of flexibility with his next contract. He could opt in and sign an extension with the Nets, or he could opt out and sign a new five-year contract with Brooklyn. Harden could also opt out and look for a sign-and-trade to a new team, including Philadelphia.

The Brooklyn Nets won't entertain trade deadline offers on James Harden, sources told ESPN. The resolve is rooted in repeated assurances from Harden to ownership and management that he's committed to staying and winning a tile with the franchise.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been connected to Harden, but they have yet to make the Nets a trade offer ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline.

Harden didn't sign an extension in the preseason, pushing a decision to the summer of 2022. To stay with the Nets on a long-term deal, Harden could opt-in on his $47.4 million contract for 2022-23 and sign a four-year, $223 million extension at the start of free agency. Harden would earn $61.7 million in the last year of the deal, becoming the first player to surpass $60 million in a single season.

Harden could opt-out to become a free agent and sign elsewhere, or the Nets could agree to a trade contingent on his opt-in. 

James Harden recently informed several confidants of his interest in exploring opportunities outside the Brooklyn Nets when he can become a free agent this offseason.

Harden could eventually re-sign with the Nets even if he does have clear intentions of becoming a free agent for the first time.

"James isn't going to hold back," said a person familiar with Harden. "He's gonna tell you where he stands."

Harden has been frustrated by the status of Kyrie Irving as a part time player due to his status as an unvaccinated individual. 

Steve Nash's fluid rotation have also disappointed Harden. 

Harden has also not enjoyed living in Brooklyn compared to his days in Houston.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a logical potential destination for Harden, but a trade before the deadline is highly unlikely. Harden could be a target in a sign-and-trade this offseason involving Ben Simmons.

The Charlotte Hornets have registered interest in Ben Simmons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

There have not yet been substantive talks at this time.

The 76ers are seeking a top-level All-Star or multiple first round picks.

Charlotte has long been on the market for an upgrade at center.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been taking trade calls on Ben Simmons since the summer. Daryl Morey set a high asking price for his talented jack-of-all-trades player and hasn't moved off of it. But now, rival teams think Morey has an ulterior motive.

The Sixers appear content to wait on trading Simmons in hopes they can use him to acquire James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets this summer.

Last season, before Harden was traded to the Nets, the 76ers were engaged in trade talks involving Simmons to acquire Harden from the Houston Rockets. Ultimately, Houston owner Tillman Fertitta allowed Harden to pick between Brooklyn and Philadelphia and Harden chose the Nets.

Despite that choice, Harden did not ink an extension with Brooklyn this offseason. It's widely expected he'll opt out of his current deal this summer to pursue a long-term maximum contract. That's when Morey and the Sixers hope to get involved in a sign-and-trade package for Harden that involves Simmons.

Sources say Morey has the full support of ownership to take this situation beyond the deadline and into the offseason.

If the 76ers are unable to acquire Harden, they'll pursue Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal or Jaylen Brown.

In a wide-ranging interview with Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic, Daryl Morey touched on Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the trade deadline. Morey didn't shy away from discussing one specific rumor that was making the rounds this week either.

When asked about the rumor that the Philadelphia 76ers were in discussions to trade Simmons and Tobias Harris to the Sacramento Kings, Morey didn't take the usual tactic of downplaying things.

"I can tell you that for sure there are deals with the Sacramento Kings that I think would work. Will those deals ever happen? I have no idea," Morey said. "Are they just straight deals with the Kings? Probably not. Is it multiple teams? Probably. But for sure there are deals that are possible, that would go over our line."

Morey said the Sixers have talked with "pretty much every team" about Simmons trades. He also said "I can tell you for a fact that nothing's gotten into, at this point, into a range (of being close). And generally, they don't get into a range of a possible deal until you get closer to the deadline."

Three weeks before the trade deadline, Daryl Morey had an interview on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia 76ers are seeking a trade of Ben Simmons in the backdrop of Joel Embiid having another MVP caliber season.

"I think it's less likely than likely, but hopefully I'm wrong," Morey said about a trade. "Look, it won't be from lack of trying. We have a whole team of front office [personnel], it's all we do. We have no other job that matters, it's all we're working on. And I only say less likely, it won't be because we don't want to do it, it will be because for whatever reason, I mean I can tell you that these other 29 teams, none of them wake up and say, hey, today, how can I help the 76ers get better? They're all worried about their own teams. The main reason I say less likely than likely is it takes two or three to tango. Trades are not easy to construct in this league, there's a lot of risk aversion, there's a lot of decision-makers that have to be hurdled."

Morey boiled down the topic of a Simmons' trade to a binary decision. 

"I think there have been various reports of [Simmons'] issues [with the organization]," Morey said Thursday. "We just need to either correct those reasons, which so far we haven't been able to do, or make a trade. Those are really our two options. And so far, I get the fan frustration that we've not accomplished either."

The Sacramento Kings have not ruled out the possibility of acquiring both Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Recent reports have indicated that the 76ers have included Harris as part of larger trade discussions centered on Simmons. Harris signed a five-year, $180 million deal with the 76ers in 2019 that has two more seasons remaining. 

The Kings could build a package for Simmons and Harris around De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes.

The Atlanta Hawks, however, have "zero interest" in a trade that nets them both Simmons and Harris.