WOJ: Harden, Millsap for Simmons, Curry, Drummons, Two #1's

[Fallout_3]

It’s not like Harden will have ton of shooting there in Philly.

[NyCeEvO]

Harden (per Woj) clearly preferred a trade. It was going to happen at some point. Accommodating stars/players is good business and how we got to a place were stars want to come here. There are some fringe benefits as well:

1) Short term, we can win some games, maybe crawl out of the play-in. Harden wasnt going to play and is hurt anyhow
2) We are much more likely to financially keep the team together. What Simmons is owed 40% less then what harden would have gotten
3) While id rather play it out and settle for less, we would always get a better return now then the offseason... i dont buy there was a real risk we lose him for nothing, but it would have been closer to just simmons.

I didn't have an issue in principle with trading Harden and I don't disagree with any of your points (especially #2 considering that Harden hasn't played anywhere close to a $50mil/season player and he's only getting older.)

My issues are:

1) Harden is worth more, especially when considering that Simmons was never going to play for the Sixers again;
2) we strengthened a neighboring (at least for fans in NJ) division rival by giving them a superstar talent.

I think there was a greater chance of the mandate getting lifted and Kyrie playing home games in the postseason than Simmons playing for the Sixers again. Therefore, if we got healthy, we'd still be unbelievably talented and favorites to win it all, while Philly remains a pretty good team but not great enough to win a title this season without Simmons. With Harden, I'd definitely put the Sixers as a firm contender this season and going forward. A 2-man game between Embiid and (healthy) Harden is elite and they'll still have elite wing defense with Thybulle and paint protection with Embiid.

IMO, if you're going to make this trade with a division rival, you need to get tremendous value and I don't think Marks got that.

I'm not part of this discussion but wanted to share.

I too have the similar concerns as you do Nyce, especially seeing that niether Maxey or Thybulle came over. We got firsts in return for one of them so Idk where to balance that out but I'll eat it. Be nice to throw Fork in there but oh well!

We definitely gave Philly much needed firepower as they remained largely intact.

We landed a superstar talent(like him or hate him) with a flaw in shooting at such a young age under contract for the now and future years to come. He also, by the attributes should gel in quite well to the high usage players such as KD and Ky(assuming he plays).

Now 30 mins left so we'll see if we're truly done in trade market. Maybe an additional piece can help?

For the sake of Marks's reputation:

1) We must beat Philly in any playoff series we have against them for as long as Harden is there;
2) Harden cannot return to MVP level Harden;
3) Philly cannot win the title.

If #1 happens, it'll be extremely embarrassing.
If either #2 and/or #3 happen, Marks should be fired.

[MrDollarBills]

Simmons is going to explode with the Nets. Look at the shooters they got around their stars.

he's now with two elite scorers, multiple shooters. All we need Ben to do is play his game. KD will be leading the charge

Being able to run out

Irving
Curry
Harris
Durant
Simmons

is pretty lethal. With guys like Mills also ready to step in for nights Kyrie is unavailable.

Pretty Wild.

Right. This is what I've been thinking as well.

[3pt_chucker]

Dang, really sad Bembry had to be waived as a result of this trade. I'm guessing Carter is next.

[Fallout_3]

Bembry waived, WTF.

[MGrand15]

I would love to know why we would cut Bembry. And James Johnson is somehow still on the team.

[NyCeEvO]

Marks did nothing else. What a disaster.

What is this team now for the time being?

Curry, Mills, Edwards, James Johnson, Aldridge?

We will not win a single game!

And Nash just remains blameless.

If Nash is fired, I think you can make a case that he should be fired too. He let friendship and leanings toward player empowerment blind him from making a wise decision.

When Nash was hired, Marks said that given the talent we had on the roster, a coach with high EQ was needed (presumably mores than a coach with high IQ). In other words, "These guys are so talented offensively that we're bound to win on the floor. We just need a coach that manages people well and we'll be fine."

Our GM entrusted the greatest offensively talented trio of all-time to someone who has never coached basketball at any level before.

Let that sink in.

It doesn't matter that Nash has been an MVP caliber player before. We've seen other ex-players at all levels of talent fail at coaching. For as good as our offense has been, it should've been even better. Coaches are supposed to help teams; we've won in spite of Nash.

I personally feel like Marks has dropped the ball ever since he got KD & Kyrie. I've disagreed with the personnel/fit around our core for a while now. Initially, I approved of us gambling with Nash over a retread, because Marks had almost always proven me wrong prior to the hire and I put faith that he'd done the proper due diligence in vetting Nash to make sure he was a great coaching candidate.

[jigga_man]

At least James Johnson is a big and versatile enough to play multiple positions. Duke Jr is a scrub and literally inferior in every possible way to Bembry.

[3pt_chucker]

I would love to know why we would cut Bembry. And James Johnson is somehow still on the team.

I think 3 players may be gone to make room for Curry, Drummond, Kessler getting a contract and a potential buyout player.

James Johnson, Bruce Brown and Blake are def on cut watch.

[NyCeEvO]

Now we have some future. Try to imagine these months if the trade hasn’t been made. And we sucked this season much before all the Kyrie stuff and the injuries. Now we can look ahead and try to build something. Good luck with the 37 yr old Harden max extension.

People may hate this trade now...

in 1.5 years, my guess is we all love it and are breathing a sigh of relief (i feel that way now). A 35 year old Harden making 55 million is... not going to look good,

Harden is also still an FA at years end. he cant be extended now. would be low-key hillarious if he and joel butted heads and harden bounced.

I don't think most of us hate the trade. I have no problems with trading James Harden. I just wish we'd have gotten more, that's all.

Also, Harden has already opted-in for next season, so he'll almost definitely be there through the 2023.

It would be high-key disastrous for us if they win a title though.

[NyCeEvO]

Marks did nothing else. What a disaster.

What is this team now for the time being?

Curry, Mills, Edwards, James Johnson, Aldridge?

We will not win a single game!

And Nash just remains blameless.

Who's not blaming Nash?

they be foolish not to see Nash's detriments to our team success!

Nobody on the Nets seems to be!

It would be a PR disaster if a player openly came out and told the media how bad their coach was. I don't expect nor want that to happen. However, I would expect those opinions to be shared with the front office.

But I do think this trade is an indictment on Nash. He had talked to Harden, supposedly thought everything was cool, and was pretty sure a trade wouldn't be made. At the very least, I think it definitely shows that Harden didn't believe in him.

[Shark]

I like Bembry, but I guess Nash didn't really know how to get him minutes. Sucks that we had to drop him, but at the same time I could kind of see him being a bit redundant with Simmons behind here now.

[NyCeEvO]

Read on Twitter

Dinwiddie/Bertans wont play and KP likely wont be in DC tonight.. if anything helps our chances tonight

The league has officially gone to 2K GM mode.

[MrDollarBills]

Bembry waived, WTF.

WHAT THE F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no. NO!!!

I WOULD HAVE CUT BROWN OR JOHNSON. Marks is tripping!!!!

[MrDollarBills]

Who's not blaming Nash?

they be foolish not to see Nash's detriments to our team success!

Nobody on the Nets seems to be!

It would be a PR disaster if a player openly came out and told the media how bad their coach was. I don't expect nor want that to happen. However, I would expect those opinions to be shared with the front office.

But I do think this trade is an indictment on Nash. He had talked to Harden, supposedly thought everything was cool, and was pretty sure a trade wouldn't be made. At the very least, I think it definitely shows that Harden didn't believe in him.

Nash seems to be utterly clueless, or a pathological liar. All of his comments over the last 72 sound crazy

[TheNetsFan]

Bembry waived, WTF.

WHAT THE F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no. NO!!!

I WOULD HAVE CUT BROWN OR JOHNSON. Marks is tripping!!!!

One might still go if we convert Kess.

[Shark]

Nobody on the Nets seems to be!

It would be a PR disaster if a player openly came out and told the media how bad their coach was. I don't expect nor want that to happen. However, I would expect those opinions to be shared with the front office.

But I do think this trade is an indictment on Nash. He had talked to Harden, supposedly thought everything was cool, and was pretty sure a trade wouldn't be made. At the very least, I think it definitely shows that Harden didn't believe in him.

Nash seems to be utterly clueless, or a pathological liar. All of his comments over the last 72 sound crazy

He's a liar lol. He should have told the players not to talk much about Harden. Mills coming out and contradicting him wasn't a good look. Not that it matters much, but seems like another failing on Nash's part.

[MrDollarBills]

Prok, i told you Kyrie and Harden hated each other

Per the Athletic:

When the Brooklyn Nets played at the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 17th, Kyrie Irving lit some sage in their locker room before the game. Irving does this on occasion and his history in Cleveland could have contributed to the ritual.

According to sources who were in the locker room at the time, Harden looked at Irving in a perplexed way.

“Definitely a weird vibe between them,” one source said. “You could tell Harden was annoyed, and Kyrie wasn’t feeling James.”

Harden also appeared to be annoyed by Irving's status as a part time player when asked by the media.

“I’mma give him the shot,” Harden once joked of Irving.

A well-placed source says Irving was similarly eager to see Harden traded.

I told yall these dudes had beef. That whole "ego" comment made by Kyrie a few days back was a shot at Harden.

[NyCeEvO]

I think Harden was more of a disaster than Deron Williams. Deron at least gave us like what, 4 seasons? Never lived up to the hype outside of some random moments, but he was at least...something. Feel like we got half a season out of Harden, which was ultimately useless anyway since he got hurt for the playoffs. Then we got this shell of Harden who was honestly hurting us more than helping us this season. Not to mention everything we gave up for him.

Good riddance man, don't think a "star" player ever had as terrible of a run here ever.

Considering the vitriol that has been lodged against D-Will over the years, it's crazy that another player has come even remotely close to be disliked as he was. I never thought anyone would get more stick from Nets fans for the rest of my life lol.

[MrDollarBills]

Bembry waived, WTF.

WHAT THE F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no. NO!!!

I WOULD HAVE CUT BROWN OR JOHNSON. Marks is tripping!!!!

One might still go if we convert Kess.

I would have dumped Brown and Johnson, kept Bembry and ensured Kess gets his converted deal.