Kevin Durant and James Harden Reportedly In a “Cold War” Situation After Trade

James Harden admitted on Tuesday that when he was essentially forcing his way out of Houston at the start of last season, his first choice was to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers to join up with Joel Embiid and his former general manager with Daryl Morey.  All of this might have been something Kevin Durant might have assumed all along.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Durant had grown frustrated with Harden this season over his conditioning and an apparent lack of commitment to the Brooklyn Nets.

One source told Fischer that Durant and Harden had a “cold war” this season that made everyone “miserable.”

Durant reportedly held out hope that Harden would become re-engaged. However, according to Fischer, after reports grew louder that Harden wanted a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, Harden reportedly eventually told the Nets he wanted out, and Durant gave the green light to pull the trade.

Fischer quoted a source saying: “Kevin’s the one that pulled the trigger with this. Kevin’s the one that said, ‘Do this deal.’”

It was an unfortunate end of what could have been. Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving only played a grand total of 16 games together.

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