The Brooklyn Nets made a huge splash this week by trading for 3x Scoring Champion, James Harden. A trade like that, which pairs Harden with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, would usually be considered a perfect move.
This season, however, things are a little more complicated.
Amid the rising threat of COVID-19, and a shortened offseason, this NBA campaign is going to be different than any other one we’ve had before it. For some, all the distractions and interruptions make it matter less than every other season.
So, when executives around the league heard of the Harden trade, their reaction was apparently less than impressed…
“I heard a lot of chortling from team executives and agents about the Nets going all-in for a season with no fans and constant virus-related roster disruption: Are we really going to care who wins the title this year? Won’t there be an asterisk?,” Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported.
The league has already had to postpone multiple games, as well as suspensions for players as a result of COVID-19 protocols. Apparently, a mini hiatus has already been considered.
Whoever wins the title this season will have this whole situation clouding their win.
Nevertheless, the Nets made the move and are dedicated to bringing home the Championship as soon as possible. It’s hard to commend them for that, but there is just no avoiding the fact that not everyone will see it with the same degree of respect.
