On January 14, 2021, Houston Rockets agreed to trade Harden to Brooklyn Nets. This comes in a three-team deal that will also include the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Rockets acquired Caris LeVert, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs and four first-round picks while the Cavs received Jarrett Allen and Tauren Prince.
In a separate move, the Rockets are reportedly re-routing LeVert to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo.
This marked the end of the James Harden era in Houston Rockets after over eight seasons with the team, a decision which came as rude shock to fans who like betting on Basketball.
. In 621 regular-season games as a Rocket, James Harden posted averages of 29.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds, earning league MVP honours in 2018, when Houston fell just one win shy of an NBA Finals berth.
Harden who is an eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection and three-time scoring champ will reunite with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, as the duo spent three seasons as teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Adding an All-NBA player such as Harden to the team means there is a better option in that position for the Nets to compete against the league’s best. Harden is one of the most prolific scorers and playmakers in the league, and the team would certainly be thrilled to bring his special talents to the Nets.
Now, the big question is “Are the Brooklyn Nets the team to beat with the acquisition of James Harden?”
With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Nicolas Claxton, Joe Harris, Tyler Johnson, DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green already on the team, James Harden is one player who would be a plus to the team bring his skill and quality that would enable the team look formidable and improve their squad.
No team is unbeatable. In fact, every team can be beaten but the Nets new addition would give them a edge over some other teams?
HOW HARDEN IS A BIG PLUS TO BROOKLYN NETS
We all know James Harden to be a point guard or shooting guard.
Statistics shows that Harden has appeared in 841 games (628 starts) across 12 NBA seasons with Houston Rockets (2012 – 2021) and Oklahoma City (2009 – 2012), registering career averages of 25.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 34.3 minutes per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point range and 85.8 percent from the free-throw line.
In the 2019-20 season, Harden recorded averages of 34.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from distance and 86.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line with 6.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 36.5 minutes per game through 68 regular season games, earning All-NBA First Team honours for the fourth straight season and finishing third in MVP voting.
Since the start of his NBA career, he (Harden) has played in 841 of a possible 885 regular season games, and no player has appeared in more games since the start of the 2009-10 season than Harden.
He has also never missed the playoffs in his NBA career, seeing action in 128 games (85 starts) in 11 postseason appearances and posting averages of 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.7 steals in 35.3 minutes per contest.
He’s made four trips to the Western Conference Finals in his career, twice with the Rockets (2015 & 2018) and twice with the Thunder (2011 & 2012). Harden has also represented the United States in international competition, earning a gold medal with the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
This weekend, James Harden made history in his Brooklyn Nets’ debut with 30-Point “Triple-Double”. In his first game since the blockbuster trade that brought him over from Houston, Harden went for 32 points, 14 assists, 12 rebounds and four steals as the Nets won their third straight, 122-115, over Orlando at Barclays centre.
Harden became the seventh player to notch a triple-double in his team debut and the first player ever to notch a 30-point triple-double in his debut. His 14 assists were the most ever for a Nets player in his first game. He almost had a quadruple-double with nine turnovers, something he wasn’t pleased about. He scored or assisted for a total of 63 points, third-most all-time for a player in his debut.
A team with a prime Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden would be the favourites and the team to beat, but history has shown us that sometimes super teams don’t always win.
Do you think Brooklyn Nets would win the championship this season?
