- The Nets' Big 3 hasn't worked out as planned, as they've only played 2 games together this season.
- Kevin Durant is injured, Kyrie Irving can't play home games, and James Harden may be on the way out.
- It may not matter in the playoffs, but doubts are creeping in about the future of the super-team.
There is a startling amount of uncertainty about what lies ahead for the star-studded Brooklyn Nets.
A team that entered the 2021-22 season as clear championship contenders — and perhaps the favorites — have instead faced unexpected hurdles that have cast their future into doubt.
The Nets are a top-heavy, star-based team with one star out with a knee injury, one who can't play home games, and one with free agency rumors already buzzing around him. The Nets have seen their Big 3 play together just two games this season after playing only eight together last year.
This isn't to sound the alarms on the Nets' season. At 29-19, the Nets are fourth in the East but just two games back of first place in a conference with no clear favorite. They've done this while dealing with near-constant absences of key players, including Kevin Durant, who is currently out with a sprained MCL.
While there's nothing to suggest Durant won't return to dominance once again, at 33 years old, two years removed from a torn Achilles, each injury becomes a bit more worrisome for the current league-leading scorer. Durant has played in just 71 games across three seasons with the Nets and is under contract for four more years and $194 million.
But the factor casting the largest pall over the team is Kyrie Irving's part-time role.
While injuries happen to every team, few could have expected this type of hurdle. Irving's decision not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine came as New York City enforced a vaccine mandate for indoor entertainers, meaning Irving could not play home games in Brooklyn. After the team briefly prohibited Irving from playing only road games at the beginning of the season, they changed course.
Still, Irving's coming-and-goings have created an awkward dynamic where a key player is only present half the time and sometimes less. One wonders if the Nets might prefer to stay in the fourth seed so that Irving can play in more road games in playoff series against upper seeds. To date, Irving has shown no inclination to get vaccinated.
This scenario has reportedly ruffled the feathers of James Harden, who Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported this week has been frustrated with Irving's part-time role. Indeed, Harden recently joked to reporters that he would give Irving a COVID-19 jab himself.
Fischer also reported that Harden informed several confidants that he is increasingly interested in exploring other teams outside of Brooklyn this summer when he can become a free agent. Harden turned down an extension from the Nets earlier this season and has a $47 million player option for next season.
This comes amid a flurry of reports about the Philadelphia 76ers' interest in pursuing a sign-and-trade with Harden, which would reunite Harden with Daryl Morey, the GM he flourished under in Houston.
One NBA GM told Insider that he believes there is legitimate buzz behind Harden leaving in free agency, suggesting Harden hasn't enjoyed playing with other star players as much as he had hoped upon joining the Nets.
Fischer also reported that Harden has been frustrated by head coach Steve Nash's frequent lineup tinkering — which some in the NBA world believe has been experimenting with in preparation for the postseason. Nash recently shot down reports of tension with Harden.
Still, the Nets roster faces other questions, like whether sharpshooter Joe Harris can get healthy after a recent setback to an ankle injury and if plodding big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin can hold up in the postseason.
According to Fischer, Harden is still focused on winning a championship this year, as the Nets stars believe they're unbeatable when all three play together. That may very well play out as the playoffs near — the Nets showed glimpses in last year's postseason of how tough they are to beat when healthy.
But rarely has such a talented team inspired so many questions and so much doubt.