NBA Rumors: NBA insider says Steve Nash is the reason James Harden wanted out of Brooklyn
James Harden's sudden trade demand from the Brooklyn Nets, which wasn’t an actual trade demand, has left fans wondering why.
Most people expected Harden to want out of Brooklyn because of Kyrie Irving’s absence due to not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. But now it seems that Nets head coach Steve Nash could be the catalyst for Harden’s “kind of trade demand.”
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, an NBA insider for Bally Sports, went on “Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre,” a radio show part of Fox Sports, to say:
“The two of them are cool [Harden and Irving], I can say that on record. The issue was Steve Nash and James Harden…"
"Because last year when James Harden was playing for that team, even though Steve Nash was the head coach, he was playing within the Mike D’Antoni system, this was Houston all over again. The season the playbook shifted much, that’s not a Mike D’Antoni system anymore.”
FULL PODCAST: bit.ly/JMStraightFire…🎙️ Hoops Insider & Analyst Brandon "@ScoopB" Robinson joins @jasonmcintyre on the Straight Fire Podcast to talk all things basketball including what really happened with James Harden & the Nets.
🎧FULL PODCAST: bit.ly/JMStraightFire… https://t.co/CXmHXwq3CD
It seemed like Harden was making subtle hints at his frustration with Irving and his vaccination status all season. Most people speculated that Harden wanted to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers because he felt alone, with Irving out and Kevin Durant struggling with injuries.
These comments by Robinson make sense because it seems like Harden wants to feel the familiarity of his days with the Houston Rockets. He wanted to be traded to the 76ers, whose president of basketball operations and the general manager is Daryl Morey, who held that position with the Rockets.
Harden’s former coach's leaving in Mike D’Antoni could have been the first step in Harden’s eagerness to leave the Nets.
However, saying that Irving and Harden are “cool” could be an overstatement. When the Nets played against the 76ers, Irving and Durant made a massive effort to embarrass Harden and the 76ers in a 129-100 victory. Durant and Irving would combine for 47 points, while Harden would have a horrible game with just 11 points shooting 18% from the field.
Did James Harden make the right decision?
It is far too early to say if Harden made the right decision to leave the Nets for the 76ers. It was a win-win trade for both teams, with the Nets receiving depth, while the 76ers got a perimeter player to pair with Joel Embiid.
Kyrie Irving > James Harden https://t.co/Aczn3uPRZD
In Harden’s first four games with the 76ers, he averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 12 assists, leading his new team to four wins. Since then, Harden has sat out two games with possible injuries, averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 9.6 assists, shooting 35% from the field in seven games.
James Harden’s struggles could be due to a possible hamstring injury that has been an issue since last season’s playoffs. If he continues to play at this level, at 32 years old, this could be a problem for the 76ers down the road, along with Embiids own injury history.