"Durant was astonished in the opening weeks of the season at Harden's lack of explosiveness and sluggish play" - NBA insider reveals reason behind James Harden's rift with Brooklyn Nets

When the Brooklyn Nets acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets, many thought the NBA's next dynasty had come together. Alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they arguably built the most lethal offensive trio in the history of the game.

Fast forward to now, and things have completely changed. Harden was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline in February, and the trio played only 16 games together over the span of roughly a season.

When Harden requested to be traded, the assumption was that a rift was caused by Kyrie Irving's part-time status. Since the deal went down, new reports continue to emerge regarding the matter.

In a recent story for ESPN, Kevin Arnovitz cited other issues that caused the breakup. One of the early signs came before the season even started when Harden showed up to training camp not in good physical condition.

"Durant was astonished in the opening weeks of the season at Harden's lack of explosiveness and sluggish play," Arnovitz wrote.

Despite not looking in shape, Harden still performed well for the Nets. He remained a strong scorer (22.5 points per game) while near the top of the league in assists (10.2 per game). The former MVP also carried the team for stretches while Durant was injured and Irving was unable to play. In the end, these factors did not appear to matter.

Brooklyn Nets made right decision with James Harden

Former Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden

While things did not play out how the Brooklyn Nets may have liked when they acquired Harden in January 2021, they played the situation almost perfectly. Instead of attempting to mend fences with a star player, they accepted the situation and adapted.

In today's player empowerment era, it's almost pointless to try to repair a relationship with a star once their mind is made up.

In the process of pivoting from this breakup, Brooklyn was able to secure a nice haul from the Philadelphia 76ers in February. On top of landing an All-Star in Ben Simmons, they also received Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. Curry and Drummond were two strong additions for a team that has struggled with depth concerns.

Situations like this are a testament to the struggles of a super team. For the Nets, acquiring top-end talent was easier than getting the players to mesh together.

What was once the most feared group in the league quickly became one of the NBA's biggest what-ifs. Still being led by Durant and Irving, the Nets are in a good position to compete despite how things unfolded with Harden.