The Brooklyn Nets are in a conundrum this summer. Some say the team could look to trade superstar point guard Jeremy Lin, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-2018 season. Though Lin has said he would like to stay with his current team and play alongside teammate D’Angelo Russell, it remains unclear how much control he will have over where he plays next year due for reasons beyond basketball
The “james harden contract nets” is a rumor that James Harden could abandon the Brooklyn Nets this summer for reasons beyond basketball.
Even when the Brooklyn Nets aren’t seeking for it, drama tends to find its way to them. The most recent piece of information concerns James Harden, the newest superstar in Brooklyn’s “Big Three,” who may be the first to pack his belongings.
Kyrie Irving’s COVID-19 vaccination scandal and Kevin Durant’s damaged MCL have been challenges for Harden and the Nets. Despite being a little more than halfway through the NBA season, Brooklyn is still 29-17. Harden, though, might depart town this summer for reasons the Nets cannot control, according to a new source.
For the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden has been a rare consistency.
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To say the least, the 2021-22 Nets season has been interesting. Irving was forced to leave the club after refusing to get immunized, but the erratic guard is now suiting up as a part-time player on the road. Meanwhile, coronavirus struck Brooklyn hard, turning its roster into a collection of has-beens and who-are-yous for a spell.
Harden, the bearded superstar who has saved Brooklyn from imploding, is in the center of it all.
Harden and the newly injured Durant have been carrying the Nets on their shoulders. The former Houston Rockets star is averaging 22.7 points, 10.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game. Harden has also managed to remain on the floor, which is unusual for this team. Only five of Brooklyn’s 46 games have been missed by the superstar, four of which were due to a stint in health and safety measures.
Despite shooting only 41.9 percent from the field and a career-low 33.8 percent from three, Harden has been a key player in the Nets’ pursuit for the top spot. However, the pressures of leading the team, particularly with Irving’s part-time status and KD’s injury, may be too much for the nine-time All-Star.
Harden’s intention to test the market is revealed in a recent article.
James Harden has not enjoyed living in Brooklyn and has voiced his frustrations regarding Kyrie Irving’s part-time playing status, per B/R’s @JakeLFischer
Harden has made it clear he intends to test out free agency even if it leads him back to the Nets pic.twitter.com/7bhI9QnGkO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 25, 2022
The Nets envisioned a great triumvirate guiding them for years to come when they acquired Harden in January 2021. However, the voyage has been a chaotic rollercoaster with unexpected twists.
This summer, Harden, the league MVP in 2017-18, is said to be interested in exploring options outside of Brooklyn. During his 13-year career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets, he has never been a free agent. He has a $47 million player option following this season.
However, there are other reasons why Harden may want to become a free agency. Harden has expressed his discontent with Kyrie’s part-time status, according to Jake Fischer is a character in the film Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. He’s also chastised head coach Steve Nash for preferring fluid rotations to fixed groups down the stretch.
Harden, on the other hand, may want to migrate because of Brooklyn – not because of the team, but because of the city itself.
“His new city might be a problem as well. Harden has not loved living in Brooklyn, according to various sources, as much as he did his days as a central Houston billionaire. Aside from the difference in environment, the disparity in state taxation between New York and Texas is stark.
Jake Fischer is a character in the film Jake Fischer
Unless billionaire Nets owner Joe Tsai wants to relocate the team, there may not be much Brooklyn can do to appease Harden, who was born in California. But, hey, if the city doesn’t suit him, the Beard could always try living in New Jersey.
Is it worth it for the Nets to try to trade Harden before the deadline?
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If Fischer’s allegation is correct, and Harden does not like living in Brooklyn, the Nets will be in serious trouble. They can either retain him for a title run this year and risk losing him for nothing over the summer, or they can sell high now and risk missing a chance at a championship this season.
The Philadelphia 76ers are one squad that has already set its eyes on Harden. From 2007 until 2010, Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ club president, was the Rockets’ general manager. So, if he can find a taker for Ben Simmons, his familiarity with Harden might offer Philly an advantage in signing the star this summer. Would Brooklyn consider a Harden-for-Simmons trade today if the 76ers decide to kill two birds with one stone?
All of this is to say that Harden is not as eager to leave Brooklyn as Simmons is to leave Philadelphia. This season, the 6-foot-5 guard is dedicated to helping the Nets win a championship. And if the Nets win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Harden’s choice to explore the free agency waters may be made much more tough.
In a wide-open Eastern Conference, the Nets should avoid panicking too soon. But it’s worth seeing what they might do to persuade Harden that life in New York isn’t that horrible.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics, while Spotrac provided contract data.
James Harden (James Harden) (James Harden) (James The Nets are said to be open to’relocation,’ but they probably couldn’t care less.
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