James Harden is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers after forcing a trade out of Brooklyn this season, but he reportedly was singing a different tune to Kevin Durant before the 2021-22 season.
According to Logan Murdock of The Ringer, the pair "went on a trip to Greece this past summer, and the guard twice reassured Durant that he'd sign an extension to stay in Brooklyn long term, according to league sources."
Harden was reportedly frustrated by Kyrie Irving's decision to remain unvaccinated, meaning he was away from the team until January and wasn't able to play home games until this past week.
That, in turn, put a bigger burden on Harden to carry the team, especially when Durant missed time this winter with injuries. And the Nets went through a brutal stretch between Dec. 30 and Harden's trade on Feb. 10, going just 6-17.