Remember two weeks ago when James Harden joked that he was going to give Kyrie Irving the COVID-19 vaccine? Or should we say that we thought was i kidding? Why? Well, according to Bleacher Report, Harden is open to leaving the Brooklyn Nets in favor of the Philadelphia Sixers.
Sixers president Daryl Morey is known to have pushed to trade Harden when the guard was still in Houston, but as we know, he landed in Brooklyn.
Harden did not sign a contract extension with the Nets before the Oct. 18 deadline, and rumors have since swirled that he will be part of a sign-and-trade deal with Philadelphia this summer. However, those same rumors have gained more traction in recent days.
With the trade deadline just over two weeks away, there’s a slim chance the Sixers will find an acceptable deal for Ben Simmons. Supposedly, the organization prefers to wait until the summer when they have a chance to land a big name like…Harden.
On Tuesday, B/R’s Jake Fischer reported that the likelihood of Harden moving to Philly over the summer is higher than we originally thought.
Will James Harden leave the Brooklyn Nets because of Kyrie Irving?
According to Fischer, “multiple sources” have said that Harden is still open to winning a title with Brooklyn this year, but has told “several confidants” that he is interested in pursuing opportunities beyond the Nets this summer.
Fisher wrote:
“Harden has spoken to both Nets figures and his close contacts about his frustrations regarding Kyrie Irving’s part-time player status. A recent injury to Kevin Durant has exacerbated the problem, leaving Harden with most of the offensive load during Brooklyn home games.
Also, Harden has allegedly been dissatisfied with Steve Nash’s rotations:
“Nets coach Steve Nash’s fluid rotations have also let Harden down, sources told B/R. Nash has favored hot-hand closing lineups, rather than a fixed crisis-time drive.”
After Kevin Durant sprained his ACL, Irving was asked if that convinced him to get vaccinated. He made it clear that his stance on the vaccine hadn’t changed, meaning Harden would stick around to lead Brooklyn in games played at Barclays Center.
When Sean Marks cited the reasons the Nets reversed their earlier decision to allow Irving back as a part-time player, he mentioned Durant and Harden’s heavy workload.
Harden benefited from Irving’s return to the court, but until KD returns, there will be an increased workload on his shoulders, which is what Brooklyn was hoping to get away from.
Morey’s Houston connection with Harden was enough to visualize the lines between the seven-time All-Star and the Sixers, but now those lines have become clearer.
If Harden opts out of his 2022-23 player option during the offseason, he will be eligible to sign a four-year, $227.2 million maximum extension. However, he has the option to go to another team and sign a four-year, $200.1 million maximum deal.
The Nets are at real risk of losing Harden this summer. Will Irving be motivated to get vaccinated now? Is Nash going to stop experimenting with rotations? What plan is Brooklyn going to put in place to keep Harden?
There are many questions for a situation that has zero answers. The Nets will have to get through the season first, but this summer could end up being a wild ride.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism