Harden gets his wish, is traded to Nets
Four-team deal includes players, draft picks as well
James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio of the some of the NBA’s highest scorers.
The Nets agreed to acquire the threetime scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move he has sought for weeks, said a person with knowledge of the situation.
Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — has not been completed.
Once the deal is completed, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years.
It provides a needed boost amid a period of drama for both franchises, struck less than 24 hours after Harden seemed to deliver a farewell address of sorts following the Rockets’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, and just before Irving was set to miss a fifth straight game during a personal absence from the Nets.
At least four draft picks and additional pick swaps are also part of the deal, the person said. Other key players: Victor Oladipo goes from Indiana to Houston, and Caris LeVert goes from Brooklyn to Indiana, the person said, adding that Cleveland was also part of the massive trade. The Cavaliers will get Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince from the Nets in the deal, a person familiar with the trade told the AP.
Harden, who has had Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook as teammates in recent seasons, didn’t think much of the roster the Rockets had around him this season.
“We’re just not good enough … I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can,” Harden said Tuesday night. “I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.”
Brooklyn expects Harden to leave all that behind him and that his transition to the Nets is smooth.
It was obvious the end was nearing Wednesday, when the Rockets told him they didn’t want him at practice after his inflammatory comments about the team.
VIRUS: Contact tracing issues involving the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards forced the NBA to postpone three more games Wednesday, raising the leaguewide total from this week to eight.
The NBA also revealed Wednesday that 16 players — by far the most in a one-week period since training camps started — returned positive COVID-19 tests between Jan. 6 and Tuesday. With 497 players tested, that reflects a positivity rate of 3.2%.
Phoenix’s home game Wednesday vs. Atlanta was called off, as was the Suns’ home game with Golden State on Friday.
Also called: Friday’s game where the Wizards would have gone to Detroit. The reason in all three cases was the same, that the Suns and Wizards wouldn’t have enough players cleared to participate.
“Obviously, it’s not the typical NBA season that we’re all accustomed to,” Charlotte coach James Borrego said Wednesday. “But we’ll get through it.”
That Suns-Hawks game was the third on Wednesday’s schedule to be called, joining Utah at Washington and Orlando at Boston.
Wednesday games
LAKERS 128, THUNDER 99: In Oklahoma City, LeBron James scored 26 points as Los Angeles routed Oklahoma City for the Lakers’ franchise-record seventh straight road victory to start the season.
Montrezl Harrell added 21 points, and Anthony Davis had 18 points and seven rebounds. The defending champion Lakers have won four straight to improve to an NBA-best 10-3.
MAVERICKS 104, HORNETS 93: In Charlotte, N.C., Luka Doncic had 34 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and a career-high four blocks, and Kristaps Porzingis scored 16 points in his return from a knee injury and Dallas beat Charlotte.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points to help Rick Carlisle become the 16th coach in NBA history to win 800 games.
BUCKS 110, PISTONS 101: In Detroit, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Milwaukee beat Detroit for the third time this month.
NETS 116, KNICKS 109: In New York, Kevin Durant scored 26 points in leading Brooklyn to a victory over New York.
CLIPPERS 111, PELICANS 106: In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Paul George added 27 as Los Angeles defeated short-handed New Orleans.
TRAIL BLAZERS 132, KINGS 126: In Sacramento, Calif., Damian Lillard scored eight of his season-high 40 points in the final four minutes as Portland tied a franchise record with 23 3-pointers.
GRIZZLIES 118, TIMBERWOLVES 107: In Minneapolis, Jonas Valanciunas had 24 points as Memphis beat Minnesota.