Rumors surrounding James Harden have swirled over the last month, and the rumors are heating up even more ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
There has been some chatter that Harden might be unhappy in Brooklyn and open to leaving the Nets. A report on Friday even said the Nets might be open to a Harden trade with Philadelphia.
On Saturday night, Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the matter while talking during ABC/ESPN’s coverage of the Lakers-Knicks game. He talked about how Kevin Durant feels about Harden.
Woj said that Durant still feels that the Nets can win a title with him, Harden and Kyrie Irving playing together. KD reportedly just wants teammates who are as committed to winning as he is.
KD wants James Harden to stay in Brooklyn according to Woj on "NBA Countdown"#NBATwitter #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/iaDaA2RdXh
— ’ (@_Talkin_NBA) February 6, 2022
Woj ultimately concluded it’s very likely that the Nets retain their core of Durant, Harden and Irving rather than make a big trade involving one of their star players.
This makes a lot of sense.
Irving has hardly played this season due to New York’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Durant has dealt with some injuries. That has led Harden to be the one carrying the load, something that has reportedly left him frustrated.
Maybe Harden will leave in the offseason and maybe he won’t. But for now, it seems like he wants to see if the Nets can make a championship run this season.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!