Is there some trouble in paradise brewing with the Brooklyn Nets? The team has struggled on the court recently, losing three consecutive games and dropping into fourth place in the Eastern Conference as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
The slide has coincided with Kevin Durant’s injury, who sprained his MCL last week after teammate Bruce Brown fell into him. The Nets are 4-6 this season without him in the lineup, with some ugly losses to the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the team’s most recent loss to the Denver Nuggets, they were also without Kyrie Irving, who is still ineligible to play at Barclays Center and James Harden, who was dealing with a hamstring issue again.
Harden is considered day-to-day, but his future with the team is very cloudy. There was a report earlier this week that Harden is frustrated by some things with the Brooklyn Nets and that he will ultimately end up playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brooklyn has made it clear that they do not plan on engaging in trade talks ahead of the deadline on February 10th that involves Harden. However, this offseason, their hand could be forced.
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Harden’s displeasure with the franchise was recently revealed by an NBA insider. The situation with Irving is one that he is frustrated with, as Harden is now tasked with carrying an even heavier load in home games with Durant sidelined.
The rotations of head coach Steve Nash is another thing Harden reportedly isn’t a fan of. Nash does not have a set closing lineup to use in crunch time. Instead, he opts for a hot hand approach, leaving in the guys who are playing well. A hot hand is nice, but in a close game, execution is key. If your opponent has chemistry and cohesion you are lacking, that could decide the outcome.
Those are all things that can be fixed, however. The location of the franchise is not, and that is going to be the toughest thing to overcome. Harden has not enjoyed living in Brooklyn for numerous reasons, with state tax being among them.
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If money is a driving factor in where Harden wants to play next, the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are taking notice. They play in states, Texas and Florida, with much friendlier state tax laws to take advantage of.
It sounds as if that would be a huge selling point for Harden, who is likely to test free agency this offseason. While the Philadelphia 76ers are regarded as the favorite to get him, you cannot rule out the other teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat that can offer him something he holds in high regard.
