Blake Griffin, Patty Mills among Nets players taking veiled shots at James Harden

While the Brooklyn Nets were taking on the Wizards on Thursday night, the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade because official. Steve Nash wasn’t allowed to talk about the trade before the game but after the Nets fell to the Wizards, Nash, Patty Mills, and Blake Griffin commented on Brooklyn’s new-look roster.

Up until Thursday morning, Nash repeated his belief that the Nets weren’t going to trade Harden. To be honest, what else was he supposed to say?

During Thursday’s postgame presser, Nash said that in the days leading up to the deadline he was “focused on the group” and “trying to weather this injury storm.” He deferred back to Brooklyn’s front office when he was asked about what went into the trade.

Nash’s comments were expected but it was Mills and Griffin who provided the best insight into the trade.

Patty Mills, Blake Griffin speak out in support of Brooklyn Nets trade.

Griffin hit the nail on the head when he said that ultimately the Nets got what they wanted. It was clear that Harden no longer wanted to play for Brooklyn so if he would’ve remained on the roster past the deadline, it would’ve likely been detrimental to the team’s playoff push.

The trade is extra special to Griffin because he’ll get to reunite with former Pistons teammate Andre Drummond. Griffin was traded to Detroit in 2017-18 and the two played together until Drummond was traded during the 2019-20 season.

The trade just as much to Mills because of his connection with fellow Australian Simmons. Mills has known Simmons and his family for a while.

Mills is a world-class teammate. Simmons requested a trade from the Sixers during the offseason but it wasn’t until Thursday that his wishes were granted. He’s struggled with mental health issues but is reportedly excited to join the Nets.

While Simmons gets acclimated to Brooklyn, he’ll be able to lean on Mills. Simmons hasn’t spoken out publicly about the trade yet but it truly seems as if being traded to the Nets was the best-case scenario for him.

Mills and Simmons have a connection that extends beyond basketball and the two keep in contact with one another regularly. Mills said that he’s spoken with the 25-year-old recently and that he’s “in a real good place right now.”

It helps tremendously to have veterans like Mills and Griffin in the locker room. Their leadership and support are what will help the roster mesh together over the next two months before the playoffs begin.

Simmons, Drummond, and Seth Curry will be welcomed to Brooklyn with open arms. There hasn’t been a set date for their debut but there’s a chance that the trio could join the team in Miami for their game on Saturday night. The sooner that the Nets can be together, the better.

3 reasons why the Nets won the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade

The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia Sixers finally agreed to a James Harden-Ben Simmons deal and here are 3 reasons why Sean Marks won the trade.