The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers pulled off one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history. The Nets shipped superstar James Harden to Philly for embattled star forward Ben Simmons. But well before the deal was finalized, Rich Paul reportedly had pitched the idea of that trade to Kevin Durant.
The meeting between Durant, his business partner Rich Kleiman, and Paul took place on January 13th. Durant initially resisted at the idea of moving Harden for Simmons. However, two days later, Durant sprained his MCL and was suddenly no longer playing basketball.
The Nets have gone into the tank ever since Durant went down with an injury. They have lost 10 straight games and fallen to 29-26 on the season. They are barely holding on to a playoff spot. They are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, but only 3.5 games ahead of the Wizards, who are the first team out of the Play In Tournement.
Without Durant, and Kyrie Irving for all home games, it was suddenly all on Harden to save the team. Whether it was pressure or inability to focus, it seemed clear in recent days that Harden had checked out.
Reports have even surfaced that Harden wanted out of Brooklyn. The idea of the perfect marriage between Durant, Harden and Irving will never come to fruition. It went so wrong, so quickly. The trio barely played together over a season and a half, for one reason or another.
However, with this trade, a new ‘Big 3′ might emerge. Ben Simmons' game might very well suit Brooklyn's needs more so than Harden could provide. But Durant is still weeks away from returning and the clock is ticking.
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