There are hours left in between the Brooklyn Nets and the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Will James Harden be in New York City after 3 p.m. ET today?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the trade talks between the Nets and Sixers have gotten nowhere. However, Brian Windhorst says that the two teams are motivated to get a deal done.
There are far too many reports floating around right now to know what to believe. The truth is going to come out later this afternoon.
It feels like a lose-lose situation though. If Harden truly doesn’t want to be with Brooklyn, will his attitude change even if he isn’t traded? And if he were to be traded within the next few hours, will the new-look Nets be able to form a type of chemistry before the playoffs?
Hopefully, Harden stays in Brooklyn. That’d be the best option for both him and the Nets and here are three reasons that prove why.
3 reasons why James Harden shouldn’t want a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
3: The team is worn down by injuries right now
Brooklyn was down 28-2 in the first quarter against Boston on Tuesday. There’s no excuse for that. However, it should be noted that the Nets were without Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nic Claxton, and Paul Millsap.
The team’s had bad luck with injuries that started when Joe Harris went down with an ankle injury on Nov. 14. He was supposed to return within four-to-eight weeks but there’s still no set date for when Harris will be back.
Most importantly, Durant will be back in a few weeks after spraining his MCL on Jan. 15 against New Orleans. If he weren’t injured, Brooklyn wouldn’t be in the midst of a nine-game losing streak.
The Nets have struggled to stay healthy. Out of the seven players who were out on Tuesday night, five of them are injured. The only one that Brooklyn fans should be worried about long-term is Harris due to his unknown status.
The playoffs start in a little over two months and that’s when the Nets need to be whole and luckily, they have time. Harden’s been Brooklyn’s most consistent presence on the court but if he stays, that will change in the coming weeks. There’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.