Let’s make this simple. The Brooklyn Nets better hope that they know what they’re doing, or their existence is going to be very, very grim. We all know by now that the Nets made the trade for James Harden, and through one game at the time of writing this, the team looks good. KD had 42 points, while Harden became the first player in NBA history to get a 30-point triple double in his team debut. We’ll have to see how the play style will work with Kyrie on the court as well, but it seems that the Nets are in good shape…for now.
I don’t have a problem with trading for a superstar, obviously. If I was a GM, and my team had an opportunity to get one of the top 15 players in the entire league, I would try my best to get a deal done. What I have a problem with is how much the Nets gave up to get Harden. Four first round picks, along with four pick swaps. The Rockets now have the Nets future in their own hands, and if this superstar pairing of KD, Harden, and Kyrie doesn’t work out, meaning championships galore, then the Nets are going to be in trouble for the second time since moving to Brooklyn.
I know that it has been such a long time, but if we can think back to 2013, the Nets made a “championship or bust” move for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. What did the Nets give up to get such a haul? Three first round draft picks, one pick swap, and cap filler. What did those picks turn out to be? James Young in 2014. Not so bad, right? Two years later though, the Celtics were able to get Jaylen Brown. The year after that? The pick swap? Jayson Tatum. You know. Only the two cornerstone pieces for the Celtics now. Not to mention that the other first round pick the Nets gave up was used in a trade to get Kyrie Irving. That seems like an awful lot to get up for two aging superstars, right? I thought so at the time, and I’m not the only one. What is different this time around? Not a lot, unfortunately for the Nets.
Yes, Harden is younger than KG or Paul Pierce were when the trade went down, but it isn’t like Harden is 26. He’s 31 years old. Yes, he looks great right now. Amazing even, but how long will it last? I’m not even the most concerned about Harden, either. The biggest issue I have with the whole thing is that I think that Kyrie will implode about being the third wheel. Think about it. Kyrie didn’t want to play second fiddle to LeBron, he wanted to prove he could lead a team. Fine. So he gets to Boston, and is the undisputed “guy” and isn’t happy with that. Then he goes to Brooklyn to be the guy while KD recovers from injury, and now with the James Harden trade, Kyrie Irving is without a doubt the Alfred to KD and Harden’s Batman and Robin.
What happens when Kyrie doesn’t want to be the third option? What if he requests a trade? Then with just KD and Harden, what if they don’t win a championship, and then Harden, or KD, or both, want to go somewhere else? Then the Nets are left stranded, with no future, at least until 2028. 7 whole years from now, the Nets will have a first round draft pick that is completely their own, without a restriction or a swap on it. Seven years is an eternity to wait for a future, and I don’t think the Nets can afford to not have this pay off. This is absolutely a championship or bust season for them now, and I think that everyone, including the Nets staff, know it.
The trade isn’t the issue I have. The trade had to be done. What I am concerned about for the Nets is exactly how much was given up for Harden. 8 picks in total is a huge price tag for any team, not to mention one that did this same gamble that ended up not working just 8 years ago. There is a scenario where for 16 years, the Nets just under-perform, and leave the fan base distraught. You’ve seen trades in the past like the one for Kawhi Leonard where the Raptors only had to give up one first round pick, along with DeMar DaRozan. The Raptors gave up one single draft pick, and it resulted in an immediate championship. Solid business plan all around. What I think the Nets need to avoid doing is becoming the Clippers of the East.
We all saw how much the Clippers gave up for Paul George. Five first round picks, and two pick swaps. Now the Clippers are in a position that if they don’t win a championship, and preferably soon, they won’t have a future to look forward to either. Kawhi can leave after this year, but I’m assuming that he’ll accept his player-option for next year at $36 million, but that means that the Clippers realistically only have two years to make this gamble worth it, and I just don’t see it in the cards for them. I think the Thunder swindled the hell out of the Clippers, and there is no one to blame other than the Clippers’ front office.
I think that the Nets could very much be in danger of having history repeat itself. I don’t want to be a downer, but if the Nets start to sense turmoil, they must, and I repeat MUST, fix the issue. If Kyrie starts causing issues, trade him to the first team that asks for him. If KD and Harden start to have alpha-dog issues, squash it. If you don’t, if you refuse to do anything and just let the whole thing play out, the Nets will be left with nothing to show for their gamble. We all want to hit the lottery, but you have to have the right numbers to do so. Hopefully, the Nets are keeping a close eye on everything from here on out, because if they don’t, this will be a miserable 7 years for Nets fans.
Round The Game 
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