Nets: Should Brooklyn reignite James Harden talks after Kyrie Irving video?
By Mike Luciano
Should the Nets trade for James Harden after that infamous video of Kyrie Irving leaked?
What has become a challenging start for the Brooklyn Nets has morphed into a crisis thanks to point guard Kyrie Irving, who was away from the team after taking a personal leave before their win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
While Irving received plenty of well wishes, as many assumed that it was either to take care of his mental health or a response to the attack on the US Capitol, a video that made the rounds on social media Tuesday morning showing Irving at a large birthday party without a mask has many who wished him well making swift retractions.
The NBA is expected to examine videos of Kyrie Irving maskless at a family birthday party and he’s not expected to return this week, per @wojESPN and @malika_andrews pic.twitter.com/jBJHGjDdoc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 12, 2021
While the James Harden trade rumors have been put to bed by a solid start in Houston, one has to wonder if Sean Marks will at least consider looking into adding the Rockets star.
The Rockets will demand a player of Kyrie Irving’s caliber if they trade away James Harden.
The Rockets were previously uninterested in moving Harden, who is averaging 26 points and 11 assists per game next to Christian Wood and John Wall in Houston, unless they received a superstar in return. Nearly every hypothetical trade proposal that involved the Philadelphia 76ers ended up with Ben Simmons going the other way. While the Nets were nervous about breaking up the KD-Kyrie tag team in order to get Harden, they might’ve had their hands forced here.
The NBA has formally opened a review of videos that appear to show the Nets' Kyrie Irving at a recent party without a mask
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 12, 2021
If Irving misses any games due to what is ruled a protocols violation, he would be subject to a fine of more than $460,000 per game ... 1/72 of his salary
From a schematic standpoint, not much would change by exchanging Kyrie for Harden. Both are among the game’s best scorers and distributors, all the while adding little on the defensive end. While Harden might be a better pure scorer and penetrator, he doesn’t have Irving’s handles or efficiency.
While replacing Irving with Harden wouldn’t do much to sate the Nets’ concerns about one of their superstars going out on the town given Harden’s taste for the finer things in life, but it might be the only way forward.
If Irving was untruthful about where he was and the reasons for his personal leave, Brooklyn has to at least consider shipping him out of town for Harden, as doing so would help keep the Nets competitive in the crowded East.
