3 reasons trading for James Harden could be bad for the Brooklyn Nets

With the NBA offseason in full swing and trade rumors circulating around, perhaps the hottest rumor is the fact that James Harden wants out of Houston. The eight-time All-Star and former league MVP reportedly wants to be traded from the Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets, where he would reunite with his former OKC teammate in Kevin Durant.

Not only is this new groundbreaking in the sense that Harden has been the league’s best scorer over the years, winning the scoring title in three consecutive seasons now, but that he is still owed $131.5M over the course of the next three seasons ($46.9M player option in 2022-23) and $41.2M this upcoming year.

With the finances of the NBA down this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of revenue league wide, not many teams have the ability to be big spenders this offseason, meaning whoever lands Harden will have to pay a king’s ransom back to Houston in player contracts and future draft capital.

The Nets have the capability to trade for Harden if they are willing to give up the assets to acquire him and reuniting him with Durant definitely has its pros. Not only are Harden and Durant two of the league’s best iso-scorers, but both are still in the primes of their career. Add Kyrie Irving into the mix and the Nets have what looks to be a bona fide championship caliber trio. 

The Rockets made it clear to the league this week that every player on their roster is available for the right price as they traded away veteran forward Robert Covington to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Trevor Ariza and two first-round picks (2020 & 2021). That trade will not go through until after the draft and the Blazers will be selecting whoever the Rockets want with the No. 16 overall pick.

If the Rockets are to trade away anyone on their roster, including Harden, they will want to not only acquire an established young star with All-Star potential, but plenty of draft assets to rebuild their team through the NBA Draft. 

As it pertains to the Nets, they have made the NBA Playoffs in back-to-back seasons and although they lost in the first round both times, they have the firepower and young talent to be a very successful team for years to come.

Does adding James Harden to the mix actually help the Nets get to the championship level they expect or will it all be for not? Here are the three reasons why trading for Harden would be a bad move for the Nets. 

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