If Harden Is Indeed Disenchanted In Brooklyn, Can The Nets Find A Workable Solution?
My intent was to save my next Nets post until after tonight’s national TV matchup with the Lakers. However, when the smoke alarm goes off twice, you shouldn’t waste time before taking action.
Anyway, tonight’s contest is irrelevant when compared to the latest saga surrounding Nets superstar James Harden. With Kevin Durant injured and Kyrie Irving unvaccinated and ineligible to play, the game has lost much of its luster and is not likely to live up to the hype it generated when originally scheduled.
The first report, from The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Monday, where the Sixers were said to be waiting on Harden to free himself from Brooklyn before trading his disgruntled All-Star Ben Simmons, was easy to dismiss as leaked wishful thinking—hardly a bombshell. It’s no secret that Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey pines for a reunion with The Beard, hoping to rekindle their almost-glory days in Houston. However, it was always assumed that Harden preferred Brooklyn over Philadelphia, using the opportunity to form a historic (at least in terms of pure offensive talent) Big 3 with KD and Kyrie to chase that elusive championship ring. And guaranteeing himself a ton more money, I should add. Ergo, the report was deemed a modern-times case where if you say it enough times at high volumes, you can think it to be true.
Until maybe it was something more than that. Enter Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, whose sources say Harden isn’t all that enamored with his current surroundings. In particular, Irving’s part-time status during KD’s recovery that has been forcing Harden into an untenable role as the Nets’ sole playmaker during home games, the difference between New York City’s and Houston’s weather and tax rates, and Head Coach Steve Nash’s inconsistent rotations are all making him reconsider his long-term plan when he opts out of the final year of his contract after this season. Each of those negatives has a ring of truth in them, forcing Brooklyn to treat these reports as something more than leaks from folks with agendas or pure speculation.
Now, I would be absolutely shocked if the Nets were involved in a blockbuster trade prior to the February 10 trade deadline. The blueprint where all Big 3 members are together for the postseason is still in play, with Durant expected to return from his PCL strain next month and Irving either succumbing to the vaccine mandate (less likely) or the COVID-19 community spread receding enough by the Spring for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to lift the mandate as unnecessary. I can’t foresee a situation where all the stakeholders, from owner Joseph Tsai to Marks, Nash, and-maybe most influentially--KD, endorse a premature breakup.
However, it is Marks’ job to listen, even to the most outlandish trade calls. And there just might be a proposal that works for all sides—one where Brooklyn wouldn’t lose their standing as one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference (assuming Irving plays full-time) while Morey simultaneously offloads his problem child and gets his man.
First, though, understand that in no way do I want Brooklyn to end up with Simmons and his lofty opinion of himself. Even if his superb athleticism and lockdown defense at his size is a rare commodity, he’s not the right fit here.
In a league where the elite spend summers arduously working on the tiniest of details to expand their games, Simmons has never put in the requisite time to fix the skill on which so much of NBA success is dependent—his perimeter jump shot. The final straw in Philadelphia was when Simmons was so scared to shoot in the fourth quarter of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 that he passed on a layup, contributing to the Sixers’ defeat.
I’m not going to opine on Simmons’ mental health, but the timing of his admission appears sketchy, as in a ploy to stay away from the team while still getting paid. The Sixers stood their ground and have been fining him for games missed.
Therefore, a third team is required to complete a trade involving both Simmons and Harden. How about Atlanta, who has reportedly expressed interest in Simmons but does not have a top-40ish player (other than Trae Young, who is untouchable at this point) to return to Philly, a Morey dealbreaker?
Before I give you the details, bear in mind that Philly won’t be getting the MVP-level, Houston version of Harden. While still an All-Star and a master at creating offense for himself and others, he’s clearly on the downside of his career, though how steep it will be is anybody’s guess. Some may excuse his somewhat slow start to this season on his recovery from the hamstring strain that hampered him at the tail end of last season through the playoffs, the uneven officiating following rules clarifications, or Brooklyn’s weaker-shooting supporting cast clogging up the paint, the facts are clear—he's not making buckets at the same efficiency that he used to, with a 42/34/87 shooting split this season. It’s his lowest 2-point rate in 8 years and the worst 3-point percentage of his career.
It's also understood that when you’re buying Harden, you’re not getting a two-way player, his underrated post defense and sneaky hands notwithstanding. In fact, he has to be hidden on defense. It always amazed me that more teams haven’t used Harden’s man as a pick-and-roll screener, because he will habitually switch it even if it puts him one-on-one against a quick ballhandler.
With all that, the Nets will still be hard-pressed to return anyone who comes close to replicating Harden’s abilities on the court in any trade. Waiting until after the season could conceivably make things worse, though, especially if Philly invokes a nuclear option and manages to unload Simmons and Tobias Harris without the Nets’ help, thereby clearing enough salary cap space to sign Harden as a free agent outright, albeit at less dollars than what Brooklyn can offer using Bird rights.
The Nets would then be stuck, bereft of all the assets they utilized in obtaining Harden in January 2021. Sure, they have KD locked up and could always re-sign Irving (if he also opts out after the season), but they’ll have few means to build around them.
Therefore, if Marks decides after sitting down with Harden in the next couple of weeks that they no longer share a long-term vision, he should be choosing the least painful of lousy options, or something like the following:
Sixers get:
Harden and Paul Millsap
Hawks get:
Ben Simmons
Nets get:
John Collins, Tyrese Maxey, Danny Green, Kevin Knox, Hawks 2022 first-round pick, Hawks 2024 first-round pick (lottery protected)
Again, the Nets aren’t going to hit any trade that leaves them without Harden out of the park. But this proposed deal does solve some of their issues, especially three-point shooting. Other than Knox, who is included as salary filler and can be waived for all I care, all three players Brooklyn will receive are shooting well above the league’s average three-point percentage.
Collins would finally give Nash his dream “small-ball 5” that wasn’t replaced when Jeff Green bolted to Denver in free agency. Danny Green’s best days are behind him, but teams can always use players with (positive) experience in big games. The picks would enable Marks to weaponize his trade exceptions in advance of the deadline.
The big ask is Maxey, with whom Morey was reportedly loath to part when negotiating a trade for Harden a year ago. Too bad. Maxey, 21, has been tremendous in his sophomore NBA season, adept at shot creation and converting 40.7% of his three pointers. Even his on-ball defense has improved from his rookie season.
Maxey would assume Harden’s role as “Kyrie insurance” in the event the oft-injured Irving got hurt or, in this case, went off the rails.
Like this entire Brooklyn Nets season.
Lol...no chance they get all that