James Harden To The Nets Is Reportedly Picking Up Steam
What, you thought today was only going to consist of The Masters and college football? You fool! Not when we are right at the start of the most chaotic part of the NBA offseason. The trade moratorium is going to be lifted any day now so reports like this are going to continue to hit the timeline. Now I know this isn't Shams/Woj, but if everything I read in that tweet is to be believed, it is very much a bomb. Like an NBA altering type bomb. James Harden joining Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant? Yeah that's pretty insane.
As you can see, the Nets do have the contracts to make the money work, and if you're the Rockets and you need to rebuild, that's not a bad package. It doesn't blow your dick off, but there are some decent pieces there. LeVert/Allen are legit young pieces to build around, Dinwiddie is a starting caliber guard, and Taurean Prince helps make the money work and is also a 3 and D type guy. In terms of potential packages, that's not a terrible return. We don't usually see even returns for top 5 players, so this very well might be the best the Rockets could do. Would you rather have that package or someone like Ben Simmons? If you're rebuilding, to me you'd want as many assets as possible. Granted the Rockets don't have to do a damn thing considering James Harden is under contract for a 2+1 with a $47M player option so really it's 3 years, but this is intruiging.
Now these "engaged talks" could simply be Brooklyn calling Houston and the Rockets hanging up in their face while enjoying a nice chuckle, or at least I'm sure that's what Rockets fans are telling themselves. But the fact that it's even a remote possibility is pretty wild. That potential three headed monster of Kyrie/Durant/Harden would be pretty fucking unstoppable offensively if everyone is healthy and looks like their normal selves. Plus, we would get to see Harden/Durant reunited again which would probably go better than his last pairing. A move like this also has the potential to be a gigantic disaster, which would be just as entertaining.
All I know is, I'm not sure how many considered the Nets as a potential Harden landing spot, and it sounds like we should maybe take that a little more seriously.