The James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets isn’t clear right now after a couple of hot days. The Houston Rockets superstar reportedly wants out of the team and the Nets are his preferred destination. After eight years with the franchise, Harden believes his window to win a title in H-Town is closed and now wants to go play elsewhere to get that elusive NBA championship.
The Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are the strongest candidates to take his services but nothing is certain at this moment. These two options are very complicated right now, given the Rockets’ demands but, most people think Harden would be better on the Nets. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently made the case for Harden to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, explaining that’s the only way he has to win a championship.
While talking about DeMarcus Cousins signing with the Rockets, Smith explained what Harden should do next in his career.
“If you’re James Harden, you need to want to go to Brooklyn for one reason above all else. Your shot at the title. It ain’t in Houston. You got no shot; they’re not beating the Lakers, they’re not beating the Clippers, they probably wouldn’t beat Denver or Dallas. That’s the way I look at it. And if even though Philadelphia would be a possibility and an option, they’re still relatively young at certain positions. You’re James Harden, I think with what the Lakers have put together in terms of Anthony Davis expected to re-sign, LeBron still being there, Morris still being there and there you acquired Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell and Schroder. The bottom line is when you look at the Los Angeles Lakers, they are better than they were when they won the championship last month. It’s just that simple and when you look at it from that perspective, what’s your best shot to go after them? To assemble a Big 3, a Kyrie and KD with James Harden, ’cause you certainly won’t beat them in the interior; you gotta bring them outside and destroy them in that fashion, pushing the ball up the court and shooting perimeter shots. That’s your only shot to beat the Los Angeles Lakers squad and there is only one team that could do it. That would be Brooklyn if James Harden went there.”
Harden is tipped to join the Nets and form a superteam. The player has the same desire to go play with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant and former Team USA teammate Kyrie Irving. Both the Nets and Harden want the same, but the Houston Rockets have the last say on this situation. They also need to figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook so the Rockets have his hands full, but they seem to be comfortable with this scenario.
