Are We Sure the Brooklyn Nets May per chance restful Desire James Harden?

Superstar alternate eventualities are inclined to overthought. So unparalleled attention is paid to what acquiring NBA groups will be giving up and the future opportunity payment to which that quantities. 

James Harden‘s lengthy, drawn-out, unavoidable exit from the Houston Rockets is no longer any longer any varied.

First-spherical picks no longer yet conveyed are being romanticized. Ditto for sure prospects. There can also be such a part as giving up too many non-stars.

Many of the time, this good judgment fails to resonate. Picks and prospects are conceptual. Superstars bask in Harden are true. Teams could per chance perhaps accept as true with to make a top-5 player, restful in his top, and determine the remaining later.

But within the Brooklyn Nets’ case, it is no longer so simple.

Though they are among Harden’s most trendy touchdown spots, if no longer the most trendy touchdown assign, they need to no longer working from a assign of uncomplicated want. The assign other groups could per chance perhaps watch Harden as their line to rivalry or missing portion, the Nets could per chance perhaps no longer want him. If something, they would perhaps perhaps accept as true with a completely varied form of player.

Here is no longer any longer an overreaction to Brooklyn’s 125-99 drubbing of the Golden Tell Warriors on opening evening. The case for the Nets to pair Harden with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving writes itself. Real style as strong, though, is the case for them to defend away.

Why Brooklyn May per chance restful Commerce for Harden

He is James friggin’ Harden. That is no longer any longer subtle.

Superstars rule the NBA, and failing a stark fall-off, Harden remains one of many 5 easiest gamers alive, a 50-engage season exteriorized. His potential to win entire trendy seasons on his have makes the context of his becoming a member of two more stars that unparalleled more intelligent.

Partnerships with Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook didn’t pause on the rosiest terms, however peak Harden has by no formulation played beside two equals at as soon as. Deference is much less complex, and implied, if he’s actively having a detect to sync up with Durant and Irving.

And to that pause, Durant specifically represents one other first for peak Harden: a seemingly superior. Every wide title in Houston arrived ceding area to him. Harden will be the one latching onto what’s already in assign this time, and if Durant makes a tubby restoration from his ruptured appropriate Achilles, there desires to be no purposeful energy war. 

Higher than that, time has a technique of providing perspective. Harden has navigated a maze of Rockets iterations, finest to circulate searching for them topple rapid. Kyrie no longer looks to be interested in taking half in a sure formulation, and Harden could per chance perhaps feasibly be within the identical boat:

This conception that Harden can’t, or gained’t, alternate his ball-dominant vogue is with out concrete grounds. He burns thru more isolation possessions than entire groups because that is how Houston determined to play. There could be a difference between being incapable of making adjustments and by no formulation being tasked with enforcing them within the first assign.

On the identical time, Harden’s system-unto-himself influence is allotment of his allure. Durant has regarded gigantic since making his return from his ruptured appropriate Achilles (22 aspects in 25 minutes Tuesday evening), however he’s restful strolling back from a ruptured appropriate Achilles. Every stage of this reacclimatization gained’t be with out scenario. No no longer as a lot as, he’ll gaze masses of scheduled relaxation.

Kyrie, meanwhile, is no longer any longer a billboard for staunch smartly being himself. The finest shoulder damage that ended his 2019-20 campaign is no longer any longer power, however he can normally be penciled in for 15 or so absences yearly until confirmed otherwise.

Depth can by no formulation supplant stardom. It can perhaps perhaps complement, it could per chance perhaps perhaps accept as true with to augment, however it cannot mimic. The finest change for superstardom is one other movie star. And Harden is built to wait on the Nets in methods the combination of Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert by no formulation will.

Why Brooklyn Need to no longer Commerce for Harden 

If any group has the impetus to sit down down out—or at minimum play down—the Harden sweepstakes, it is one who already pairs two could per chance perhaps-be top-15, per chance top-10 gamers. Doubt has punctured the KD-Kyrie duo largely attributable to injuries, however their differ of outcomes involves that movie star equity.

Durant more so than Irving used to be regarded as the swing pattern given the gravity of the damage from which he’s working succor. Two exhibition video games and one trendy-season day day out is infrequently a essential pattern dimension, however he looks unparalleled closer to himself than no longer. The expectation need to no longer be that he’ll compile worse with more reps beneath his belt over time.

In the match the Nets compile both Durant and Irving (26 aspects on 10-of-16 shooting Tuesday evening) at the peak of their powers, consolidating depth into more star energy becomes unparalleled much less principal. LeVert and Dinwiddie could per chance perhaps light in comparability to Harden, however they would possibly be able to wait on Brooklyn’s flooring if its stars make no longer plan an availability void.

Sure, both gamers power the Nets to navigate some overlap. LeVert has transformed more than 33.3 p.c of his eradicate-and-shoot threes finest as soon as in his four years (2017-18). Admire Dinwiddie, he is used to working with the ball in hands. 

But integrating Harden wouldn’t be any more straightforward. He owns three of the best single-season utilization rates in NBA history and has spent the previous few years pushing the boundaries of one-on-one basketball.

While Harden could per chance perhaps spare the Nets from heartache when Durant and/or Irving is no longer any longer on the flooring, he is a much more complex slot in tandem with them. Brooklyn can more seriously hotfoot the minutes of Dinwiddie and LeVert by advantage of bringing the latter off the bench. It can perhaps perhaps no longer accept as true with that option with Harden.

This says nothing about the true costs of acquiring Harden. The Nets gained’t accept as true with the finest package on the table if the Philadelphia 76ers are willing to dangle Ben Simmons. They doubtlessly gained’t even accept as true with the tip supply if Philly backs out of negotiations. Making a bet in opposition to their future thru a long way away first-rounders could per chance perhaps per chance be a staunch circulate, however the Rockets reportedly want a cornerstone-form prospect. LeVert is the closest that the Nets reach, and his bandwidth for development is narrower than no longer at the age of 26.

It begs the question: How unparalleled need to Brooklyn give up to plan a recommendation that holds up in opposition to other non-Sixers overtures?

Dinwiddie, LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs is the pure place to starting up, if finest to plan the money work. Taurean Prince will be subbed in, however he’s sparing them from giving up Kurucs or per chance Allen, no longer Dinwiddie or LeVert.

Negotiations turn out to be a matter of first-spherical picks and swaps from right here. Two apiece feels bask in the minimum—and that is the reason loads, in particular if the commitments are leaking into 2027. Durant, Harden and Irving all accept as true with player alternate choices after the 2021-22 season. Little about their future will be written in stone previous then.

Per chance the Nets inevitably pick the the relaxation of Harden’s top is value that lengthy-time duration menace. He completely is in a vacuum, and that could per chance perhaps even practice to their group. Beating a Warriors group that regarded caps-lock unpleasant on opening evening would no longer preclude the Nets from having the dialog—and plan no mistake, it is a dialog.

It level-headed is no longer any longer a no-brainer. Because if Durant’s first three outings are telltale of something, or no longer it is that these Nets are value extra exploration as currently constructed.

Unless otherwise famend, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleansing the Glass.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Myth. Put together him on Twitter (@danfavale), and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/R’s Adam Fromal.