When the Brooklyn Nets brought together their current “big three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the plan was for all three of them to sign extensions that will keep them in Brooklyn for the foreseeable future. Durant got his, as did Irving, and then it was up to Harden to lock the trifecta into place. However, despite having the past year to contemplate the extension, Harden has still has not informed the Nets that he is sticking around.

Perhaps he wants to keep his options open in the event that one of Irving and Durand goes down with an injury that will take Brooklyn out of contention, or maybe it is something more? Speaking on the “all the smoke” podcast on Tuesday, ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins dropped a nugget of information that has NBA fans all over the world on the edge of their seats. James Harden may way out.

As you can see in the video, Perkins minces no words in an effort to give us all a clear picture of what is really going on in Brooklyn. If Perkins is right, and Harden is more interested in joining Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (Sixers) than he is in signing an extension with the Nets then perhaps this story can get a little bit more interesting by the time the NBA trade deadline comes in two weeks.

As we all know, Ben Simmons has been requesting a trade out of Philadelphia and is refusing to play unless he is dealt. Sixers general manager Daryl Morey is playing hardball with Simmons, trying to teach a lesson to future NBA players that whining your way out of a city will not work. How far he is willing to go in an effort to prove his point, though, remains to be seen. If Morey is able to set his feelings aside, a Simmons-Harden swap could help improve the Nets defense that currently leaves a lot to be desired.