As soon as James Harden requested a trade out of the Brooklyn Nets, people around the league pointed the finger at Kyrie Irving.
Irving has a history of troubled relationships in the locker room, and his status as a part-time player, unorthodox beliefs, and off-court persona reportedly upset Harden.
However, Austin Krell of The Painted Lines believes those rumors were overstated to some point. Apparently, there was never any bad blood between the two:
"Sources familiar with the dynamic in Brooklyn indicate that the perception that Harden and Irving didn’t get along is overstated," Krell said. "One source described Irving and Harden as 'acquaintances'. Multiple sources dismissed the notion that there is bad blood between the two guards."
Rumors also claimed that Kevin Durant was angry at Harden for his poor conditioning and questionable work ethic. Nonetheless, it seems like that was also blown out of proportion:
"The same applies to Durant’s feelings about Harden," Krell added. "Durant famously chose Rudy Gobert over Harden with the final pick in the All-Star Draft after the blockbuster that sent Harden to Philadelphia. But, it appears as though the two-time former teammates are on good terms. A league source rejected the idea that Durant dislikes Harden. Durant doesn’t have bad blood with Harden over the departure, the source added. That same source threw cold water on the idea that there was animosity between the three stars."
Harden could play a big role in trying to recruit any of the former Nets stars. Also, he's expected to take a big pay cut to help the Sixers stay competitive and make moves for years to come:
“You can expect Harden and his representative and Daryl Morey in Philly to really sit down and hammer that deal out here, perhaps as soon as the next 24 hours,” ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
So, now that the air has been cleared and the rumors of a potential feud between Harden, Irving, and/or Durant have been dismissed, will Daryl Morey dig deep into his bag again?
Joel Embiid reportedly let the Sixers know that he wants them to exhaust all options in an attempt to trade for Durant, and the Sixers were also a potential destination for Irving, according to the latest rumors.
Doc Rivers' team is on the verge of championship contention, they just need another piece to take the heat off Embiid and the aging Harden. They have Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, and Tobias Harris to work out a deal, so... will they pull the trigger? Don't sleep on them.
