The 21-22 NBA regular season is drawing to a close today, and if we count the most talked-about deals of the season, the Nets and the 76ers clearly top the mid-season trades. Harden has played in 17 games for the 76ers after the two teams pressed the whistle on the trade deadline to complete the big deal, but the soap opera he left the Nets doesn't seem to be over. Recently, Timothy Rapp, a well-known OPEN-air reporter of the US media, posted an article exposing the truth about Harden's departure. According to the reporter, Harden deceived everyone in making the decision to leave the Nets, including his friend and teammate Kevin Durant. This not only caught the Nets off guard, but also disappointed and saddened Durant.
In fact, the reason why Harden made the decision to leave the Nets is more because of the bad situation caused by Irving's delay in playing. After forming the Big Three last season, the Nets once showed the offensive strength of the league. Sadly, they didn't get any further in the playoffs. Injuries to their core players cost them a defeat in the division semifinals. When everyone expected the Nets to make a comeback in the 21-22 season, Irving's inability to play was a serious blow to the Nets. Later, Durant's injury early in the season became the last straw that crushed the camel. Harden was emotionally negative after leading the team alone for a while, and the 32-year-old seems reluctant to continue wasting time in Brooklyn. It took less than a week from rumors of trades between the two teams to the completion of the deal, in which Harden's own desire to leave the team played a crucial role.
It is reported that Harden repeatedly promised Durant at the beginning of the season that he would make a follow-up appointment at the end of the season. Even after Irving was unable to play, Harden revealed to management his intention to renew his contract. So when Harden offered to leave the team, both Durant and the Nets executives were shocked. Harden's maneuver not only hurt his friends, but also put the Nets at a disadvantage in the trade, and until the end, he could not come to Nash's favorite Sable. It is not difficult to explain why Irving publicly expressed dissatisfaction after Harden left the team, and Durant did not express support for his friends for many years. What is even more ridiculous is that Harden's first reaction after making the decision to leave the team is to ask all parties not to disclose this, because he does not want to be scolded by fans for taking the initiative to leave the team for two consecutive years. However, all this was finally exposed, and combined with Harden's recent poor performance, it became the biggest talk in the North American media at the end of this season's NBA regular season.
This season is already Harden's third consecutive season of declining statistics. Although he averaged the second-highest playing time per game on the 76ers, his efficiency was fairly average. Averaging 22.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game may be a good star player performance, but it is not enough for Harden. The 76ers paid a huge price to get Harden, apparently hoping that the 32-year-old star, who still has not yet won the championship, will form the league's top duo with Embiid. But for now, the two still have a long way to go. Do fans and friends think Harden can still regain his MVP status when he was in the Rockets a few years ago? Can he win the 76ers? Welcome to discuss and communicate in the comments section!