We're just a couple days away from February 10 and trade season is in full frenzy. Can you imagine how stressful things are for Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks right now? Your best player Kevin Durant is out for another few weeks with a knee sprain. Your second best player James Harden is out with hamstring tightness, an injury to the same muscle (different leg this time and less severe but still) that perhaps cost you a championship last season. Your other second best player Kyrie Irving is only available for 10 more regular season games: the rest are either in Brooklyn or in towns like Manhattan or Toronto where he's not eligible to play. Ten!

The Nets can wind up in the play-in tournament hosting a single game elimination bout without Irving. If they lost that and had no resolution on Irving's part-time player status, would Harden (reportedly frustrated with that point) leave them empty handed? Who knows if the team would want to drop a max offer on Irving to stay in this disaster scenario? Could Kevin Durant wind up the lone member of The Big 3 next season? Some of the worst case scenarios are suddenly not that hard to imagine.

But what should they do?

Here's what we'd advise for Sean Marks, Kevin Durant and the Nets.

James Harden Trade Decision

Step 1: Open the kimono with the Sixers, just listen to what's on the table

First, do your due diligence on a possible Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that in-depth talks have yet to get going. Someone may as well open the kimono if that's indeed the case. If Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey makes a big offer (something like Simmons and Tyrese Maxey, or Simmons, Seth Curry, and three first round picks) then these are the types of deals you may actually want to take.

The picks (or Maxey) could be rerouted by summer for more win-now veteran help if they want to. Having a player under contract long-term like Simmons would also keep them in the hunt if a player like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal become available–whereas Harden could sign outright someplace else, costing them any alternatives.

The Nets could “test run” Simmons this season, and if they didn't love the fit, they could try to do what the Sixers have been trying to do and trade Simmons to Washington for Bradley Beal come summer. The floor is less scary in these hypotheticals.

By declining a fair offer like these from Philly, you could begin to worry about losing Harden for nothing while also worrying how he might age on a contract like this if he stayed:

Once you have an opening offer from Morey, you can assume the rival GM has another offer in his back pocket he may reveal between now and the Thursday deadline. But you need to know your options.

Step 2: Next go have a private meeting with Kevin Durant

There was a report Monday from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne with this bit of intel:

“Durant has significant sway with the organization, but he isn't telling Tsai and Marks what they ought to do at the trade deadline, sources said. Durant still wants Harden, sources said, but wants a committed Harden.”

It's great that Durant is not pushing management too hard. But the Nets should have a background conversation with him and see how badly he wants to play with Harden for the next four-five seasons. They should also see how devastated Durant would feel if Harden leaves them empty handed in free agency.

They don't need to listen to KD no matter what, but his opinion should carry a ton of weight.

Irving, on the other hand, isn't under contract. If Kyrie has strong feelings one way or the other, it's important to listen. But as a part-time player on a likely expiring contract, his voice carries less weight. Them's the rules. But it's worth a check in. One change to local vaccination mandates, one plant-based vaxx, one change of heart on his part, and you'd have to suddenly pivot to rolling out red carpets for Irving's long-term services anyway. So you may as well keep that relationship on good terms and hear him out. Just ask the Boston Celtics how it feels to lose Kyrie.

Step 3: In depth cost-benefit analysis

This next bit of intel from Woj and Shelburne's report is interesting:

“Harden's private grousing about Nets coaches, teammates and the organization has made its way throughout the league, but those who've worked with him in the past understand that's how it goes in troubled times with him. Almost anyone who has spent considerable time with Harden in the NBA concedes that he can be quick to blame others — and seldom himself.”

It's a possible red flag that Harden might be saying one thing to the Big 3 and ownership then voicing other concerns behind closer doors. It might be another red flag that he's not accepting responsibility for his own sub par play. They need make sure he's worth the cost of doing business for the next half-decade.

Step 4: Stay the course, but implement a diligent load management program

Unless the Sixers knock your socks off, unless Kevin Durant says he's sick of James Harden, (something all reports suggest he's saying the opposite of) you stay the course. You could keep a player like Harden off a team that boasts the MVP favorite in Joel Embiid. You might still have Ben Simmons as a fallback option via sign-and-trade come summer if the Sixers don't surprise us at this deadline.

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ESPN's Zach Lowe recently cautioned this Nets team could be one of the best theoretical teams ever. If Sean Marks called his former mentor Gregg Popovich, Pop might offer some sage advice on how to test if Harden is bought in–if he's worth the investment. Pop found ways to get his core to stick around and buy in while resting here and there during the regular season. If you're going to give this a shot, then you need your Big 3 to be healthy.

The problem here is that Harden is playing too many minutes. At 32 going 33 years old, Bobby Marks' implication is clear:

It seems a combination of minutes played, and perhaps lifestyle, has caught up with The Beard. Well you saw how he looked on Christmas Day after a couple weeks off from an asymptomatic COVID-19 bout.

Harden was trying to play every game, logging the fourth most minutes in the entire league. Now he has hamstring tightness. Of the 3,332 possessions he's logged per Cleaningtheglass.com, 1,109 (or 33%) have come without either Durant or Irving on the floor. He's only played 63 possessions (2%) with both on the floor.

Recent reports have noted he came to NYC expecting to form a three-headed monster and he's frustrated the reality has been so far from that vision. The Nets have had their justifications for leaning on him as much as they have, but they're reaching a point it's now suboptimal to to push.

Harden needs his minutes dialed back, he needs rest games built in occasionally, regardless of the regular season stakes.

There's no easy answer. Even if they did push him and he didn't pick up any more nagging hand or hamstring injuries, they could still leave him exhausted for the finish line in a home game without Irving, for all the marbles.

But unless the Sixers knock them over with an offer, it makes sense to roll with the Big 3 and do whatever it takes to get them all on the floor together at full strength heading into the playoffs or Play In.