3 trade packages to send James Harden to Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant, NBA Rumors, Houston Rockets, James Harden, Serge Ibaka
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets Receive: James Harden ($41.2M 2020-21 Salary), P.J. Tucker ($7.9M)

Houston Rockets Receive: Kyrie Irving ($33.3M), Spencer Dinwiddie ($11.4M), Jarrett Allen ($3.9M), BRK 2023 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)

The Nets just signed Kyrie Irving to a max contract, along with Kevin Durant, last season, there is no chance they trade him without him and KD playing a full season together, right? Well if the Rockets are not willing to hear any offers for James Harden unless the Nets include KD or Kyrie, they may very well pull-the-trigger and send Kyrie to the Rockets.

If this is the case with the Rockets’ front office and they want either KD or Kyrie in return, the Nets will have to look at the next three or so years of their organization and decide if they have a better chance of winning a championship with Kyrie or Harden paired up with Durant. Just from the looks, it seems like James Harden would be the better choice long-term for the Nets. 

Both James Harden and Kevin Durant have a strong chemistry between one another as they played together for four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, reaching the NBA Finals once in the 2011-12 NBA season. KD is the main reason why James Harden wants to go to the Brooklyn Nets in the first place and is the only untouchable player on the Nets rosters. It is yet to be seen how Durant will look on the court coming off of an Achilles tear in the 2019 NBA Finals that kept him out the entire 2019-20 season, but before tearing his Achilles, you could make the argument that Kevin Durant was the best basketball player in the world. When both Durant and Harden are ready to call it quits in their respective careers, they will both go down as two of the greatest pure scorers in the history of basketball, so why wouldn’t the Nets want to pair these two together for the remainder of their careers?

Acquiring Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen gives the Rockets three key pieces to build upon and would keep them relevant in the Western Conference, especially if they can put together a nice trade package for Russell Westbrook as well. The salaries also work perfectly with this trade proposal as the Nets would only be taking on an extra $531K, keeping them almost even where they are now tax wise. The only catch for the Rockets in this trade is that Irving still has three years left on his contract, which is not a bad thing, as when healthy, Kyrie Irving is one of the premier point guards in the league, but could be slightly concerning for the Rockets as they will be tied down with his contract for years to come. 

The Nets would not have to give up as much draft capital in this trade scenario since they are giving up a 6x All-Star and 2x All-NBA performer in Kyrie Irving. It is possible that the Rockets would want the Nets to add another 1st Round Pick or two 2nd Round Picks to this proposal as well since they are giving up P.J. Tucker, who is in the last year of his contract. The Nets have the capability to trade for James Harden and be immediate favorites to win the 2021 NBA Finals, the only question that remains is are they willing to trade away their future in attempts to win as many championships as they can now? 

Early NBA Offseason Intel: Donovan Mitchell’s Future, Spurs, Hawks, More

There is still a lot of NBA basketball left to play, as the 2024 playoffs have yet to begin, but there is already some information

Green’s 41 Points Propel Rockets to 147-119 Win vs. Jazz

The Houston Rockets dazzled with a season-high 27 three-pointers to dismantle the Utah Jazz 147-119 during Saturday’s NBA action. Jalen Green scored an impressive 41

DiVincenzo’s 31 Points Lead Knicks to 105-93 Victory Over Nets

In a spirited New York rivalry clash, the Knicks emerged victorious against the Brooklyn Nets with a score of 105-93 during Saturday’s NBA action, showcasing