Ben Simmons-James Harden trade puts Kevin Durant in awkward spot during NBA All Star draft

The NBA trade deadline fell on the same day as the All Star draft, putting Kevin Durant in an awkward spot.

Durant and LeBron James went on US national television to pick their 12-man All Star squads one player at a time, but Durant was the only one with a teammate (well, now a former teammate) on the board.

After 21 picks, just two names remained — defensive centre Rudy Gobert, and 2018 MVP and three-time scoring champion James Harden.

But a disgruntled Harden had that morning been traded from Durant's Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. As Durant started his deliberations for his final selection everyone knew where it was going.

The stand-off between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers is finally over and both now need to move on. That's especially true for Simmons, who may have done irreparable damage to his reputation.

«I'm gonna need some size for sure,» said a straight-faced Durant, despite already boasting seven-footers Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns on his roster for a game typically dominated by high-scoring ball-handlers.

«So I'm gonna go with Rudy Gobert.»

That left James with Harden, and he questioned if the nine-time All Star, who has missed three games with an apparent hamstring strain, was healthy.

«He got traded; he's healthy now,» former NBA superstar Charles Barkley said from the hosting panel.

Earlier in the show, Durant spoke typically earnestly about the recent trade, with the Nets getting sharp-shooter Seth Curry and centre Andre Drummond as well as Simmons from Philadelphia.

«I'm excited for our team. Looking forward to finishing the season out with this new group and these new players,» he said.

«Playoffs are right around the corner so we've gotta fast-track getting used to each