Woj: Kevin Durant Wants James Harden to Remain with Nets amid 76ers Trade Rumors

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant reportedly wants James Harden to remain with the franchise amid trade rumors connecting him to the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Saturday on NBA Countdown:

"I think he wants, absolutely wants to continue with James Harden, stay the course with him. And listen, I think there's still a real good chance that's the case when we get past Thursday in the NBA with that 3 p.m. trade deadline."

The news comes after The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Friday that the Sixers are expected to pursue Harden until the trade deadline. Charania added that the Nets are "believed to be open to discussing a deal" and discussions on a potential Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap could begin this week.

However, Charania also noted there's "no urgency for Nets officials" to move Harden because they believe their current roster is worthy of competing for an NBA title.

But while Harden remains invested in trying to win a title in Brooklyn, B/R's Jake Fischer reported last month that the three-time scoring champion "informed several confidants" he's open to declining his player option worth more than $47 million and exploring his options during the offseason.

So, if the Nets don't trade him before the Feb. 10 deadline, they'll risk losing him for nothing once the season ends.

Durant's reported interest in having Harden remain in Brooklyn should come as no surprise. The duo played together with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2009-10 to 2011-12, leading the franchise to three straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012.

They've now been playing together in Brooklyn for a season-and-a-half, and the Nets have been successful in each of the past two seasons despite both players being in and out of the lineup because of various injuries.

The Nets reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season and are currently the sixth seed (29-23) in the East, just four games behind the first-place Chicago Bulls. With the standings being tight, Durant knows the team will need Harden for a successful playoff run.

While Harden is having a down offensive year by his standards, he's still averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from deep.

If he were to join the fifth-place Sixers (31-21), the Nets' chances of going deep in the playoffs become slim, especially with Kyrie Irving only able to compete in road games because of his refusal to comply with New York City's COVID-19 vaccination mandate for indoor arenas.