First-year Rockets head coach Stephen Silas called the drama surrounding Harden an "all-around messed up situation. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onBrooklyn Nets and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Playing alongside Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis should get him only the best of looks, and unlike Allenwho landed on a team that is rebuildingLeVert will still be on a playoff team, and perhaps a more dangerous one because of him. Potentially swapping with the Rockets in 2021 shouldnt be a problem. The Rockets have sent James Harden to the Nets in a blockbuster four-team trade that also involves the Pacers and Cavaliers, completing the unhappy star's exit from Houston and setting up a potential superteam in Brooklyn. He should be much happier in Brooklyn, having teamed with Durant in Oklahoma City when they were younger and remaining close still. I don't plan on leaving this organization and the situation we have. [ April 23, 2023 ] How Nikola Jokics Nuggets Took 3-0 Lead Over Timberwolves Denver Nuggets [ April 22, 2023 ] How Jalen Brunsons Knicks Made Light Work Of Cavs In Game 3 Cavaliers News [ April 22, 2023 ] How Trae Youngs Hawks Bounced Back vs. Celtics In Game 3 Atlanta Hawks [ April 22, 2023 ] Grizzlies Land Did Sixers or Nets win the Ben Simmons and James Harden trade? My legs, my body feels just powerful, feels strong.. Dont get me wrong: Houston still got an impressive haul, but its difficult to peg the Rockets as winners in this. The Athletics Shams Charania breaks down the reported blockbuster trade. 10 pick in the 2018 draft. Now, if you look at Kyries contributions from a strictly statistical perspective, then perhaps you could make a case that the Nets precipitous drop in form is unrelated to his return. That means the Nets are allowing that many points per 100 possessions. Brooklyn Nets timeline: What went wrong leading to trade and breakup of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving. MORE:Kevin Durant hilariously refuses to select former teammate James Harden, Feb. 12, 2022 Durant speaks to the media prior to the Nets game in Miami, saying"James doesn't have to explain anything to anybody," adding that "he's his own man. He buried two 3s late against his former team in the second quarter that stretched the lead to double digits. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports. Three months later, the Nets ultimately finished as the seven-seed with a record of 44-38. the Nets season flipped with the return of Irving. The No. Irving remotely takes questions from home where he asks members of the media to respect his privacy regarding his vaccination status. Feb. 6, 2022 According toa report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, sources indicate that a trade that would send Harden to the 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons at the trade deadline is a legitimate possibility. Known primarily for his exploits in isolation, Harden has adjusted to suit the needs of his new team by sacrificing his own scoring for the sake of his teammates. The James Harden trade, of course, is a factor, but The silver lining for Oladipo comes in the void Harden leaves behind. Too much had been said by him (and family members) to keep the former Hoosier and his hometown team together, especially with his contract expiring this summer. 6 in win shares. Your email address will not be published. The contract and all that stuff will play itself out as it should. pic.twitter.com/Dugwr89CD5. But the Rockets chose door no. The Beard got his wish, the Nets got their third star, and the Sixers got well, nothing for now. Per multiple reports, the Pacers would acquire LeVert and a future second-round pick from the Rockets in exchange for All-Star guard Victor Oladipo. Bridges seemed he would stay in the area when he was drafted by the 76ers with the No. He also tied Reggie Miller for third on the NBAs all-time three-pointers made list with 2,560. Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half. That and more from a full weekend of picks. The Rockets will undoubtedly be worse without Harden, who is good enough to drag a mediocre team to the playoffs by himself, but they also shouldnt be so terriblewith a talented trio in Oladipo, Wall, and Woodthat they trigger top-four protection. Pritchard realized this, as he correctly realized the situation with Paul George had grown untenable, and once again made a move before everyone was expecting one. "While we are excited to welcome James and his family to the Nets, we also want to thank the players who are departing. This is what it might look like if the franchise center has space to work. Its not easy being a small-market team in the player empowerment era, but the Pacers made the necessary proactive move to remain competitive. The Nets have officially lost all of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in the span of a calendar year. Mahoney: Oladipo pining for a trade only to be sent from one of the best teams in the East to the regrouping Rockets feels like a basketball fable. Nets: Took 70 shots compared to 89 for the 76ers. The Kings had no answer for Steph, who dropped 50 in a record-breaking Game 7 outburst to propel Golden State to a tantalizing second-round matchup against the Lakers. Now Hell Face LeBron and the Lakers. I mean, Harden had DeMarcus Cousins calling him out for his lack of professionalism, for crying out loud. My focus is on the season and winning a championship. No worries for the Sixers, though. It has put Harden, almost unthinkably, back into the MVP conversation. The Rockets are just 3-6 so far this season and only Minnesota has a worse record in the Western Conference. "My big ass foot stepped on the line. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. Harden, who appears to be out of shape after joining the Rockets after training camp began, is averaging 24.8 this season after three straight seasons above 30, culminating in MVP honors in 2018. That is mind-blowing and shows they can score at will. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports. That Simmonss confused and listless showing happened the same night Joel Embiid decided to film his MVP sizzle reel was all the more telling. The deal will reportedly include a fourth team, the Indiana Pacers, but that aspect of the deal has not been made official yet. The odds are (and the numbers suggest) this new Big Three is too talented to fail, but someones going to have to take a backseat, and despite all his recent gripes, Harden reportedly got everything he wanted during his nine years in Houston. MORE:Why reportedly unhappy James Harden could move on from Nets. "And so we got to get used to somebody special like that, things like that in terms of breaking records. Denver Toasts the Suns, Plus One Burning Question for Every Series, The Hundred: Presenting Our Best Bets for Nuggets-Suns, Breaking Down Succession Season 4, Episode 6: Living+. Thats a bummer, no matter how you spin it. Which teams crushed the draft, and which came up short? Bringing in apparent con-artist Ben Simmons certainly didnt help the situation, either. Hes also developing some scoring chops himself, which is another plus for Brooklyn. The Nets beat the Knicks 116-109 thanks in large part to Durants 26-point effort. Since the NBA playoff bracket does not reseed, the Sixers will play the No. The Nets were the No. What Are the Ripple Effects of the Nets James Harden Trade? Power Rankings Notebook: Impact of Harden trade, 2020-21 Trade Tracker: Every official trade, Series preview: What to expect in Warriors-Lakers, 5 takeaways from Warriors' Game 7 victory, 5 takeaways from Heat's Game 1 win over Knicks, Curry sets Game 7 record with 50 points vs. Kings, Brooks fined $25K for violating interview rules. The Nets just traded both Durant and Irving in the same week to the Suns and the Mavericks respectively. Stone now has the impossible job of somehow filling that void. https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/kevin-durant-trade-nets-return-harden-kyrie, Seven first round picks and a pick swap with Phoenix, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. How did things get to the point of no return? The question is: Did they dangle Simmons so far out in the trade waters that theres no reeling him back in? James Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory. Our groups done a really good job being unselfish this year and trying to move the ball and work together so Ive been proud of that.. They have to start over without a single All-Star on the roster. Thats the Nets record when all three of their starsDurant, Harden and Kyrie Irvingplay together, according to ESPN Stats & Info. But Id rather miss shots and win. The real concern comes in games like this most recent loss to the Wizards and the back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in January. For more information, please see our The off-night from the floor wasnt good enough for Nets coach Jacque Vaughn. Last time he landed two All-Stars for the price of one in Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Harden used every move in the disgruntled superstar handbook, from delaying his training camp arrival to going on a very public gentlemans club world tour to sandbagging teammates and his new head coach to showing up out of shape to then somehow remaining out of shape despite playing a professional sport. Philly fans can only imagine Bridges in this lineup. Silas called the drama surrounding Harden an all-around messed up situation.. The offense is not the problem. Bridges is now a bona fide NBA star while Smith flamed out after only 13 career NBA games. However, there is that 119.9 defensive The rest is negotiableincluding, it seems, the next seven years of draft equity, which is what the Nets paid for James Harden. There are many things about Kyrie that can be questioned but his talent is not one of them: the man is a superstar. My family and I also want to thank James for his many off the court contributions, including generous charitable donations and multiple annual community events. The same can be said for Spencer Dinwiddie, who should certainly have some value as a 6th man for a team looking for a scoring punch off of the bench. Jan. 15, 2022 Durant suffers an MCL sprain in his left knee that will sideline him for the next four-to-six weeks. It would ultimately be his last game as a Net. It is what it is but [being] here in Philly is an opportunity that Im looking forward to.. Jarrett Allen, for all his rim-running savvy, was never going to hold up a trade for a former MVP. (3:07). For several hours on Wednesday, the Sixers seemed certain to land Harden, with just some dotting of the is and crossing of the ts and withholding of the Maxeys to be completed. He was a no-show when camp opened and was later fined $50,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after attending an indoor event without a mask in violation of the NBAs health and safety protocols. Center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince are headed from the Nets to the Cavaliers, while the Rockets receive Cleveland guard Dante Exum and Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs. The Rockets also get Cleveland's 2022 first-round pick, via the Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston is sending a 2023 second-round pick to the Pacers, sources told ESPN. From where things stand in 2021, this is as much a move as a message; Harden is worth this kind of haul on his own merits, but even more to a franchise that is building a bond with Durant it hopes will last far beyond his current contract. ESPN's Malika Andrews and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 2340 Frederick Douglass Blvd. James Hardens sixth sense: What makes playmaking critical to the Sixers stars game. That approach has paid significant dividends for a Nets team that hasn't been at full strength in quite some time. And the fact of the matter is that, for whatever reason, the Nets season flipped with the return of Irving. WebVisit ESPN to view the Brooklyn Nets team stats for the 2022-23 season. Despite roundly outproducing Jordan individually this season, and despite the Nets blitzing opponents by 12.1 points per 100 possessions in Allens minutes, the ascendant 22-year-old winds up moving from a team with championship aspirations to one more likely to contend for a top draft picknow and perhaps for the near future. Dan Devine: At first blush, this seems like it kind of sucks for Allen. May 15, 2021 Durant, Harden and Irving share the floor for the final time in the 2020-21 regular season. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Huge numbers are being put up on offense, but the Nets are still losing to lesser competition because of their lack of defense. He hasnt been able to recapture that form at all and has struggled mightily this year. Bridges kept Game 1 from becoming an early rout in a homecoming effort. Jan. 17, 2022 Without Durant, the Nets travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Brooklyn dealt Houston a package that includes guard Caris LeVert and three first-round draft picks. The Washington Wizards Absolutely Stole One From the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving acknowledges his embarrassing defensive performance against the Wizards, The Whiteboard: Nets, Rockets both got better in the James Harden trade, Wizards score 6 points in 4 seconds for miraculous comeback vs. Nets (Video). 23 PHX 1st23 BKN 1st25 PHX 1st25 BKN 1st (HOU swap)25 MIA 2nd26 BKN 2nd27 PHI 1st27 PHX 1st27 BKN 1st (HOU swap)27 DAL 2nd28 BKN 1st28 PHX 1st (BKN swap)28 BKN 2nd29 DAL 1st29 PHX 1st29 BKN 1st29 BKN 2nd29 DAL 2nd, Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) February 9, 2023. Brooklyn expects Harden to leave all that behind him and that his transition to the Nets is smooth. On Nov. 1, 2012, shares of RadioShack closed at $2.03, putting the company's market capitalization at about $203 million. While his scoring has decreased from the absurd levels he reached in Houston, he has averaged an NBA-best 11.1 assists per game since joining the Nets to go along with 8.4 rebounds per contest. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. That was in a 98-85 victory over the Miami Heat two days after the Heat dropped 124 points on the Nets. The Nets have three open roster spots to fill out their bench, if they choose -- a $5.7 million tax midlevel, the minimum exception and likely a $5.7 million disabled player exception. It was obvious the end was nearing Wednesday, when the Rockets told him they didnt want him at practice after his inflammatory comments about the team. Something went wrong. At the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, the Nets moved ahead of the Bucks and are now the second-favorites to win the NBA title, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. As the former MVP slid to the Team LeBron in the last pick of the draft, it became clear that Durant consciously made the decision not to select his former teammate. TO NETS: James Harden (from Rockets), 2024 second-round pick from the Cavaliers, PLAYERS TO ROCKETS: Victor Oladipo (from Pacers), Dante Exum (from Cavs), Rodions Kurucs (from Nets). 76ers: Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rang the ceremonial bell. Off to a 7-6 start in his rookie season, now the former point guard and two-time league MVP Nash will have to mold an offense that keeps the ball moving with three players worthy of having it in their hands. He stopped short of holding out, but the Rockets were preparing to make that decision for him before giving up altogether. Required fields are marked *. June 5, 2021 43 seconds into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks, Harden exits with a hamstring injury that would hold him out of Games 2 through 4 of the series. The Nets had one of their more impressive wins of the season over the Utah Jazz on Monday, escaping with a 114-106 victory. This goes one of two ways. Once Morey bolted for Philadelphia, Stone immediately felt the weight of player empowerment pressure. Harden won each of the last three scoring titles by notable margins 2.3 points over Anthony Davis in 2017-18, 8.1 points over Paul George in 2018-19 and 3.8 points over Bradley Beal last season. June 1, 2021 Harden records 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nets complete a 4-1 series win over the Celtics in the opening round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. After weeks of enduring the Harden debacle and weighing offers, Stone ultimately opted for the tantalizing potential of future first-round draft picks (four of them, plus four pick swaps). It's the team's first sweep in a best-of-seven series since they knocked out the Bucks in the conference semifinals in 1985, Barkley's rookie year. and our What happened in the next 24 hours will take many days to unpack and clean up. Breaking down the Golden State-Los Angeles matchup with 3 things to watch, 1 X-factor and a series prediction. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland could form a pretty potent partnership with one of the NBAs premier pick-and-roll lob threats. James Hardens sixth sense: What makes playmaking critical to the Sixers stars game. Despite being without Irving, Durant nearly wills the Nets to victory with 48 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but his toe was on the line for a potential game-winner and the Bucks would prevail in overtime. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth. Rivers and fans, and last summer demanded a trade. I literally have done everything that I can, Harden said Tuesday night. 2 seed Celtics even though the We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The Brooklyn Nets are 55-25 with James Harden all-time. He makes his decisions on his career by himself. Hes closing in on the top 10 in PER, and he already sits No. "But, at the end of the day, we've got to focus on ourselves. It has been a pleasure watching them grow both as players and as people and they will always be part of our Nets family. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001. The third star the Nets have been chasing is both a longtime friend of KDs and contending insurance for whatever is going on with Kyrie Irving. The three-point shooting numbers for Maxey (48%) and Harris (40%) skyrocketed following last seasons All-Star break, because A) Harden recognized them open when others earlier in the season did not and B) they could let the ball fly faster off a pinpoint Harden pass. Then came a pair of embarrassments in rapid succession: Bridges celebrated on draft night with his mom, who worked at the time for the 76ers. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hes older at 26 years old, but he also is developing into a legitimate shot creator and is already a very good defender. Or they go out and trade Simmons for someone like Bradley Beal. 9 seed in the conference as of Tuesday. Dec. 17, 2021 29 games into the 2021-22 season, Marks changes his stance, announcing that the team will permit Irving to rejoin on a part-time basis. The Rockets, sources said, also addressed the idea of including second-year guard Jalen Green, the No. The blockbuster trade sending James Harden to Philadelphia in return for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks is official. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The Winners and Losers of the James Harden Trade. We examine all the ripple effects from Wednesdays four-team blockbuster deal. Here are five questions that could determine that series outcome. Allen finishes damn near everything he gets his hands on at the rim; hes averaging 1.41 points per possession finished as the roll man in the two-man game, fourth best among players who have finished at least 25 such plays this season, according to Synergy Sports. The Legend Steph Curry Drops 50 in Game 7, Suns in Trouble, the Lowry Game, and What Do We Do Now? In the trade, the Nets send center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland, and guard Caris LeVert and forward Rodions Kurucs, as well as three first round draft picks (2022, 2024 and 2026) and four first round pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027) to Houston. Its something that I dont think can be fixed.. Tobias Harris added 19 points and the 76ers hit 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. (And when I say someone like Bradley Beal, I mean Bradley Beal). Crowder can now serve as another trade piece for Brooklyn that the team can flip forward to another contender to potentially make this haul even bigger. Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday. Allen will get more shots and more chances to stretch his game offensively on the Cavs than he ever would have as the fifth option in Brooklyn.