Well, really.

Remember Zubin at the very beginning?

You know, it was Kevin Durant and James Harden in the offseason who were playing in l.

A talked about the idea off playing together.

And that's when James Harden told Houston that he wanted to trade.

He wanted out, and it took until really the last several days for talks to start escalating.

And, you know, Houston did a good job of making it clear they had a price that they wanted.

Certainly a draft compensation to be met.

And ultimately, the Nets got there by finding a third team.

Initially, Cleveland, who sent one of their first round picks off eso they could pick up Jared Allen and, uh, Taurean Prince.

You know that got them another quality first to Houston.

And ultimately that helped get it over the finish line.

And, you know, I think once Houston found a taker for Caris, Levert made another deal with, uh, Indiana to pick up Victor Oladipo is part of the four way trade.

Uh, it was agreed upon yesterday.

How close did the Sixers come to getting Harden.

I mean, ultimately, I think the best player available to the Rockets in the deal was Ben Simmons.

If you want to look at whether they would keep him or look at his trade value, and I do think that's a part of it for the Rockets.

Even bringing in Victor Oladipo is what might his trade value be because they could move him again before the trade deadline.

But, you know, I think ultimately e think this deal with Brooklyn got them.

You know, the multiple first round picks and the pick swaps.

You know, I think essentially Houston's betting by perhaps the back end of this, uh, that the Nets could be, Ah, team.

That's not as good.

And and those picks Watts would benefit Houston, but ultimately to listen.

I always thought it was gonna be a little difficult for Philadelphia to get a deal done if things were relatively even, uh, Daryl Morey left the Rockets went to Philadelphia, and I think owner Tilman Fertitta, ultimately the idea of not only allowing more Ito leave but then to send him James Harden and to see James Harden have great success with Sixers and with Daryl Morey.

You know, that was gonna be something, uh, that all things being equal.

I don't know if the Rockets wanted it to play out that way.

Well, now that he's on the move woes with all the protocols and all the different things and wants to deal is finalized.

Finalized?

When will we see him in a next uniforms?

I mean, it's conceivable he could play Saturday.

He shot.

There's no, uh, the way the protocols are, as long as he's been testing positive and he tests every day.

Uh, he's been in this league protocol once.

All the players report and pass their physicals.

Uh, you know, it's conceivable he could suit up on Saturday against Orlando, although, um, part of it depends on the other players to in this deal reporting, passing their physicals and all become eligible, all becoming eligible to play with their new teams.

Well, you and I both know managing those personalities is going to be extremely challenging, especially for a first year head coach and Steve Nash.

With that being said, how important is Mike D'Antoni to this team now?

Yeah, Mike D'Antoni's history, certainly with James Harden specifically and and I know, D'Antoni was a big proponent off bringing James Harden in.

I think he thought that they would find a way to make it work.

He loved coaching James Harden because he knew he'd show up every night to play.

He didn't want nights off.

Hey, didn't want minute restrictions.

James Harden loves the ball, and he brings that to this Nets team, and certainly there's going to have to be sacrificed among these three.

You can't listen, even with two great players.

Someone's gotta give.

But there's no Chris Bosch in this Big three, and that's gonna be a challenge for the Nets.

It's hard to imagine who's gonna be the player that's going to take a significant back seat with three someone's going toe have to.

That's just reality.

But listen, I think part of this trade to J and I think you know this is it's a bit of an insurance policy for the Nets for Kevin Durant.

They want to be able to re sign him on his next deal.

They've seen him return at an all world level, and he is the focal point of this franchise.

He was for the beginning of that free agent score on bringing he and Kyrie Irving.

It was always about getting Kevin Durant.

And now, without really knowing what the future holds for Kyrie Irving in them and what is commitments gonna be?

Whether they can really count on them?

I think they have solidified Durant's future by having James Harden.

And I think Kyrie Irving is gonna have to figure out how he fits into that now.

Well, what is the internal feeling at this given juncture on Kyrie Irving at the Nets?

Well, I think Kyrie is gonna have toe explain.

Uh, he's gonna have to explain really what's transpired here in the last week.

And I think that listen ultimately as much as anything.

And you guys know this in professional sports, teams have to be able to count on you.

And if there's issues, if there are things that they need to help Kyrie Irving work through like any organization with a great player, they're going to be there to do that.

But ultimately, they've got to know you're seriously that you have seriously committed to this endeavor in this group in this team.

Carry Irving has to be a leader on this team He's got to be a leader for good, and I think for the Nets, you know, they have to know that.

But listen, bringing James Harden and changes that dynamic and and this is a team now that has, you know, three m v P level players on it on.

And I do think that perhaps the organization gained a little leverage now over Kyrie and over his future by landing James Harden.

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