Kyrie Irving Rumors: Nets Star Was ‘Eager’ to See James Harden Traded at Deadline

James Harden and Kyrie Irving reportedly didn't jell well in the locker room prior to the Brooklyn Nets trading Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package headlined by Ben Simmons on Thursday.

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Irving was "eager" for the Nets to trade Harden after the two star guards failed to get on the same page.

Irving took to Twitter to respond to the report:

A source also told Vardon there was a "weird vibe" between Harden and Irving, and that "Harden was annoyed, and Kyrie wasn't feeling James."

Additional sources from within the Nets locker room described a tense interaction between Irving and Harden in January after Irving lit some sage before a game against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Harden reportedly "looked at Kyrie like he had three heads" in the midst of Irving's ritual, a Native American practice "Irving has embraced to cleanse negative energy," Vardon wrote.

Irving's decision to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine reportedly may have been a point of contention as well.

Because Kyrie isn't vaccinated, he cannot play home games in Brooklyn or road games against the New York Knicks because of the city's COVID regulations. That means Irving has been available less than half the time since rejoining the team.

Per Vardon, Harden once said, "I'mma give him the shot," in reference to Irving's vaccination status.

Nets star Kevin Durant and others involved with the team have been publicly diplomatic about Irving's situation, but Vardon's report suggests there was some frustration on Harden's part.

With Durant on the injured list because of a knee ailment, the Nets have been in a tailspin recently, resulting in a nine-game losing streak. Brooklyn finds itself eighth in the Eastern Conference at 29-25 despite beginning the season as a favorite to reach the NBA Finals.

Trading Harden was not only a move meant to shake things up and potentially improve the inner harmony of the team, but it also helped the Nets avoid the possibility of Harden declining his player option and leaving via free agency during the offseason.

Durant and Irving are now set to be the clear top two offensive options for Brooklyn when both are available, while Simmons will have the luxury of being a playmaker and defense-oriented.

The Nets also landed a top-flight three-point shooter in Seth Curry and a four-time NBA rebounding champion in Andre Drummond, meaning they may now be more well rounded than they were with Harden.

Brooklyn's Big Three of Harden, Durant and Irving only ended up playing 16 games together as a unit over two seasons, making the triumvirate one of the biggest "what if" questions in NBA history.

The Nets are arguably less talented than they were with Harden, but if he was truly unhappy and not on the same page as Irving, the trade could potentially pay dividends for Brooklyn.