Nets-James Harden trade could create a video game dream

The Nets and James Harden seem to be hurtling towards a bizarre marriage, as the trade rumors swirl. This is getting real.

We spent so many months preparing to deal with, defend and adjust to a Kyrie Irving–Kevin Durant marriage on the Nets that we failed to account for the possibility that James Harden might just burst through the wall and crash the whole thing.

Silly us.

In an era defined by superstars alone, the Nets appear to be on the verge (seriously!) of acquiring a third, building a small-ball Big 3 by handing the ball to an All-Star point guard in Irving and letting him dish to either Durant or Harden on the wing.

Though we have legitimate reports to read that claim the Nets are “rising” to the top of Harden’s trade list, and all buzz in the sporting world seems to be linking the two parties, we still can’t totally wrap our heads around what feels like a nifty way to ruin the competition level of a video game.

This would’ve been nonsensical months ago. After all, though Tilman Fertitta’s reign of terror was only just beginning in Houston, he still had Harden and Russell Westbrook paired together under Mike D’Antoni, with Daryl Morey (ostensibly) building the roster. Now, the roster teardown’s begun, and the infrastructure has already dissolved — in fact, D’Antoni’s here now.

It’s a simplistic knee-jerk reaction for a franchise to leap at the chance to plunder from a dying sun like the Rockets, and adding one of the game’s greatest scorers in Harden is difficult to argue against. There is, however, still just one ball. And when it comes to Big Threes, when’s the last time anyone built one that featured three on-ball scorers? Durant, Irving and Harden complement each other in the locker room — ostensibly, at least two of the three are great friends. But unless Harden intends to fully relive his Thunder days and emerges as a sixth man, this is going to be some kind of mess — especially since Steve Nash can’t simply hit “A” and force Irving to pass.

Whether this roster makes clear sense or not, we may actually have to prepare for it. The Clippers reporter who first broke the Harden rumor claims this is “practically a done deal,” and is desired by both sides.

The moratorium on NBA trades lifts Monday at noon, and we may see a Beard Bomb dropped shortly after the deadline.

Nothing about this is standard, but it works in the All-Star Game, right?

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