Ray Allen fears a James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets could end poorly in the event the Nets do pursue a “Big 3” of their own.
The Hall of Fame shooting guard suggested on SiriusXM NBA Radio a Hard-Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving trio could be a massive failure if the three superstars fail to be unselfish.
Allen also said off-court relationships will go out the window if they cannot coexist on the floor:
“If you look at Kyrie… Harden if this happens, and then Kevin Durant, it’s going to be extremely difficult for them to get along together,” Allen said, via Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Personality-wise they might be great, but then on the court it could cause trouble or problems, which ultimately could affect their relationship if they don’t decide that they want to win, and scoring and having the ball in their hands does not matter to them.”
Allen stated his own move from the then–Seattle SuperSonics to the Boston Celtics was an immense personal challenge because he saw so much less of the ball.
While Allen acknowledged it might be easier for Durant to give up the rock more given his experience with the Golden State Warriors, he wondered whether Irving and Harden can share ball-handling duties.
Indeed, Kyrie and “The Beard” are two ball-dominant players. Irving experimented more playing off the ball in Boston with the Celtics, but he was still the team's primary ball-handler.
On paper, the Nets would have three of the most explosive offensive players in the league if they trade for Harden. But Allen cautions the experiment could bottom out if the pieces do not fit together.
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