James Harden to Nets nullifies Kevin Durant's Warriors departure reason

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article_body => "The news of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/warriors\/how-james-harden-nets-blockbuster-trade-impacts-warriors-going-forward\">James Harden's blockbuster trade<\/a> from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday made major waves in the NBA for obvious reasons.<\/p>\r\n\r\nHarden will join stars Kyrie Irving and former Warrior Kevin Durant in Brooklyn under first-year coach Steve Nash. However, because it's the NBA of course, plenty of drama has already ensued. <\/p>\r\n\r\nFox Sports analyst Nick Wright joined \"Damon, Ratto and Kolsky\" on 95.7 The Game on Friday afternoon, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DRK957\/status\/1350221689896853504\">offering his take<\/a> on Brooklyn's \"Big 3\" and how it parallels with Durant's reasoning in leaving the Bay.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"It strikes me odd,\" Wright said. \"If Kevin Durant wanted a Big 3, he had a pretty damn good one in the Bay. I thought he went to Brooklyn to prove he could do it on his own. Now, you can never do it totally on your own in the NBA, you need a sidekick. But for 15 games in, for him to be like, 'No, no, actually I need another MVP. I have to do it with another MVP,' to me, it kind of defeats the purpose of leaving Golden State.\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/dubs-talk\"> <\/span>Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/dubs-talk\/episodes\/3bc5b310-1877-4fc6-b441-e991a97a6a8c\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1610761477\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\nThe trio of Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson was nearly untouchable, winning back-to-back NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018. The Warriors advanced to the Finals once more in 2019, but were upended by the Toronto Raptors in six games. Durant also suffered a devastating Achilles injury, rupturing his right tendon in Game 5. The injury would keep the 10-time All-Star out for the entire 2020 season.<\/p>\r\n\r\nDurant departed Golden State for the Nets following the conclusion of the 2019 season.<\/p>\r\n\r\nBrooklyn has had a fair share of controversy already, specifically involving Kyrie Irving, who took an unexplained leave of absence from the team and was fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating the league's health and safety protocols. The Harden-Rockets saga was messy enough, but at least the 2017-2018 MVP will get a fresh start in the East. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<h5>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/warriors\/why-steve-kerr-likes-steph-curry-brad-wanamaker-playing-together\">Kerr explains why he likes Curry-Wanamaker pairing<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\r\n\r\nAccording to Wright though, it won't be enough.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"I believe the Nets were drawing dead to win the championship, because as we know \u2026 if you want to beat LeBron James, the minimum barrier to entry is three Hall of Famers,\" he said. \"That doesn\u2019t guarantee that you\u2019ll beat him, but you\u2019re drawing dead without that. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\"They only had two Hall of Famers, and one of them was AWOL. So I get why they did it. But I don\u2019t think this team is good enough and I don\u2019t think it makes a lot of sense.\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Nets are just 13 games into the season, and are sitting 7-6, sixth in the Eastern Conference. They're just one game improved from the Warriors, who are 6-6 and ninth in the Western Conference. Harden has yet to suit up for Brooklyn, but that could change as soon as this weekend. <\/p>\r\n"
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Warriors

/ by Katie Woo

Warriors

The news of James Harden's blockbuster trade from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday made major waves in the NBA for obvious reasons.

Harden will join stars Kyrie Irving and former Warrior Kevin Durant in Brooklyn under first-year coach Steve Nash. However, because it's the NBA of course, plenty of drama has already ensued.

Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright joined "Damon, Ratto and Kolsky" on 95.7 The Game on Friday afternoon, offering his take on Brooklyn's "Big 3" and how it parallels with Durant's reasoning in leaving the Bay.

"It strikes me odd," Wright said. "If Kevin Durant wanted a Big 3, he had a pretty damn good one in the Bay. I thought he went to Brooklyn to prove he could do it on his own. Now, you can never do it totally on your own in the NBA, you need a sidekick. But for 15 games in, for him to be like, 'No, no, actually I need another MVP. I have to do it with another MVP,' to me, it kind of defeats the purpose of leaving Golden State."

Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast

The trio of Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson was nearly untouchable, winning back-to-back NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018. The Warriors advanced to the Finals once more in 2019, but were upended by the Toronto Raptors in six games. Durant also suffered a devastating Achilles injury, rupturing his right tendon in Game 5. The injury would keep the 10-time All-Star out for the entire 2020 season.

Durant departed Golden State for the Nets following the conclusion of the 2019 season.

Brooklyn has had a fair share of controversy already, specifically involving Kyrie Irving, who took an unexplained leave of absence from the team and was fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating the league's health and safety protocols. The Harden-Rockets saga was messy enough, but at least the 2017-2018 MVP will get a fresh start in the East.

RELATED: Kerr explains why he likes Curry-Wanamaker pairing

According to Wright though, it won't be enough.

"I believe the Nets were drawing dead to win the championship, because as we know … if you want to beat LeBron James, the minimum barrier to entry is three Hall of Famers," he said. "That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll beat him, but you’re drawing dead without that.

"They only had two Hall of Famers, and one of them was AWOL. So I get why they did it. But I don’t think this team is good enough and I don’t think it makes a lot of sense."

The Nets are just 13 games into the season, and are sitting 7-6, sixth in the Eastern Conference. They're just one game improved from the Warriors, who are 6-6 and ninth in the Western Conference. Harden has yet to suit up for Brooklyn, but that could change as soon as this weekend.