Another trade window in the NBA has come and gone, and one player remains a constant in trades. James Harden is set to play in his third NBA team in the span of 2 years. His trade from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers was the biggest trade to go down this past deadline. Seth Curry and Andre Drummond moved to Brooklyn with Ben Simmons while Paul Millsap followed Harden to Philadelphia.
Much has been unraveled since the trade went down, and it seems the Nets locker room was sourer than it seemed. Kyrie Irving and James Harden not seeing eye-to-eye was expounded upon in a scathing account by The Athletic. Subsequently, this turmoil translated onto the court, where the Nets have been on an 11-game losing streak. And have only managed to win twice since Kevin Durant was ruled out due to an injury. To the point where the absentee star may have well dictated James Harden’s move away from Brooklyn.
James Harden’s feud with Kevin Durant
“Kevin and James had a cold war going for the last several months that made everyone miserable,”, said a close source. Durant was reportedly unhappy about Harden’s commitment to his conditioning and fitness. And there was also a tactical disagreement between KD and coach Steve Nash’s free-flowing offensive preferences and James Harden’s iso ball preference. After the league leader in scoring got injured, and with Kyrie’s irregular availability Harden was expected to shoulder the Nets’ offensive burdens.
The responsibility of being the sole star for a team he felt non-committal to was one that The Beard just didn’t take well to. His lack of effort was noted by Nets staffers and fans alike.
It’s disgusting because he really was trying his hardest out there https://t.co/SH78uSA4x7 pic.twitter.com/uXsvwJ9OOm
— John DeZerga (@JDeZerga) February 14, 2022
This lackluster attitude on the court and toxic, cold personality inside the locker room factored in with the Nets management when they approved of his trade.
Life after James Harden
To put a team’s collective struggles down to one player underperforming and emanating difficult vibes is a reach. But is it any surprise that the Nets manage to snap their losing streak one game after the Harden trade? Nets small forward Bruce Brown made some revealing statements in the aftermath of their 109-85 win over Sacramento.
“The locker room is just a great vibe in there right now. I don’t know what it is. Everything just shifted after the trade deadline. Everybody likes everybody, it’s just great.”
"The locker room is just a great vibe in there right now. I don't know what it is. Everything just shifted after the trade deadline. Everybody likes everybody, it's just great" – Bruce Brown pic.twitter.com/NbClBB9bEk
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 15, 2022
A statement that is clearly hinting towards the latest exit from the Nets locker room, it seems James Harden is not missed by any of his teammates. Brooklyn’s trade was further justified by their newest recruits’ performances. Seth Curry put on a show for the fans recording 23 points and 5 assists. Likewise, Andre Drummond racked up 11 points and 9 rebounds to help on the defensive end. While many debate who snagged the better player between Harden and Simmons, perhaps the Nets’ biggest win is gaining 2 starter-quality players and more for a disgruntled superstar.