'Scary Hours' takes on new meaning for Nets

 

NBA.com

Things are getting scary in Brooklyn. Not the kind of scary that James Harden alluded to when he dubbed the Big 3 lineup including himself, Kyrie Irving and Durant with that exact moniker, but a different kind of scary.

The prospect of breaking up the Big 3 era before it really even started, the idea that Harden is now a malcontent by mirroring his final days in Houston, is the media narrative swirling around NBA Twitter.  A proposed Ben- Simmons for Harden swap is making the rounds with fans and media speculating a deal could be imminent.

The reality is, the Nets won't trade Harden, that is unless Philadelphia includes Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle as a starting point. Sean Marks, by all reports, isn't shopping Harden, and by his own remarks, Harden wants to stay in Brooklyn.

However in today's social media age-the age of misinformation-it's become gloom and doom around Nets' World.

Reading the tea leaves and casting aside erroneous reports and clear media plants to drive up and down the value of a particular player, it's almost a certainty that Harden will remain a Net past Thursday's trade deadline. 

Sixers' GM Daryl Morey covets Harden and can't wait to unload Simmons, but Philadelphia will need to offer a king's ransom to even get Marks' attention.

Any deal in-season is in all likelihood off the table, but depending how the Nets' season plays out, the trade rumors will start circulating this off-season.

The Sixers don't have the cap space to sign Harden outright, so a sign-and-trade scenario is the only way Morey can hope to pry Harden away. The reality is, mired in an eight game slide with Durant injured, Harden hobbled by injury and Irving available only part-time, from the outside looking in, it seems like the sky is falling in Brooklyn.

Things can change quickly in the NBA. Durant is reportedly right on schedule with his rehab, Joe Harris needs to make a decision in the next two weeks to continue rehabbing his ankle or opt for a second procedure, while Irving still remains unvaccinated with no end in sight to New York City's vaccine mandate.

There are a lot of  'what ifs' in Brooklyn, but if Irving is eligible to play full-time and Durant and Harris' rehab go well, people will be singing a much different tune in March.