NBA Rumors: Friction with Kyrie Irving led to James Harden’s departure from the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving eager to see it come to fruition

James Harden was traded for Ben Simmons on Thursday in a blockbuster trade between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets sent out Harden and received Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks from Philly.

Friction between Kyrie Irving and James Harden led to trade

There are now rumors that Nets guard Kyrie Irving wanted James Harden to be gone. According to a report in The Athletic, there was friction between Irving and Harden.

The article outlined an awkward moment between Harden and Irving in the locker room before a game.

“The Nets were in Cleveland Jan. 17. In their locker room before the game, Kyrie lit ablaze some sage — a Native American ritual Iring has embraced in order to cleanse negative energy.”

According to sources who were in the room when Irving lit his sage torch, Harden was put off by what he saw Irving doing. The article outlined that Harden was looking at his teammate like “he had three heads.”

One source said:

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

Over his three seasons in Brooklyn, Irving has averaged 26.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Harden, on the other hand, has only been in Brooklyn for two seasons. In that time, he averaged 23.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 10.5 assists.

Even though Irving holds the higher scoring average of the two, Harden almost doubles Kyrie in both rebounds and assists. That technically reads as though Harden is the more impactful player, but Kyrie has played only 12 games this season. In any case, both have solid statistics. With Kevin Durant by their side, the trio was supposed to be unstoppable.

But if the rumors are true, and Irving and Harden did not vibe well together, this move was for the best.

One can remember how Harden acted when he wanted out of Houston — if he wants gone, he is going. Harden has a knack for making sure he gets traded where he wants, when he wants. As soon as his interest in playing for his squad is gone, the team is going to suffer. Brooklyn made a good decision in letting him go.

Irving may be excited to see Harden leave, but at least Harden was playing full-time. KD has been injured, and Kyrie is dealing with vaccination issues, so the team is left to be patched up by Ben Simmons and Seth Curry. They are two adequate players to fill areas of need, but some wrinkles may pop out.

Simmons acted in Philadelphia much like Harden did in Houston last season. If Simmons can’t match the vibe in Brooklyn, there may be another dynamic that will upset the team's chemistry.

The difference remains to be the style of basketball Simmons plays vs. what Harden does. Irving and Durant can do much of what Harden offers between them. Simmons offers a level of defense the Nets lacked, so maybe the vibe fits.

Irving is big into vibes and auras, exemplified by his burning sage. So if he does not mix well, the team seems to suffer.

Brooklyn is currently dealing with a nine-game losing streak.

On “NBA Today” on Wednesday, analyst Kendrick Perkins explained his disappointment in Brooklyn:

“Right now, I just don’t feel the culture there. It’s like everything feels off. I said it today it’s a reality show. I called it ‘Love and Hip Hop of Brooklyn,’ but now I’m willing to say, y’know, ‘The Real Mens Wives of, Mens Housewives of Brooklyn, whatever.’ … There’s just too much going on over there and not enough focus on the real go.”

Perhaps Irving can swallow the sour vibes now that Harden is gone, and the team can move forward. Hearing such a displaced energy from a player who is merely part-time on its roster is sure to ruffle feathers, though. One can understand why James feels betrayed amid his run for a championship.

Both Harden and Irving have wonderful averages this year, but Harden's are much higher due to his increased playing time. Irving can make a decision to hold off on basketball and take this season lightly due to COVID, but Harden cannot afford to. A decision like that shows James that his teammates are not as dedicated to winning a championship this year as he is.

So it remains yet to be seen, but the vibes already feel better on both ends. A hungry Joel Embiid and Harden can make their waves toward their first NBA championship. And Kyrie and KD can make the moves they need to create the basketball team they both wish for.