Nets' Kyrie Irving Blasts Report About James Harden Trade: 'Puppets Are Running Wild'

The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported Thursday in the wake of the trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers that Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving "was ready for Harden to move on."

And Irving did not appreciate that report one bit:

Vardon reported that before a Jan. 17 matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving burned sage in the locker room, a Native American ritual Irving sometimes utilizes to "cleanse negative energy." 

Per that report, "according to sources who were in the room when it happened, [Harden] was seated in front of his locker, watching Irving, and looked at Kyrie like he had three heads." 

"Definitely a weird vibe between them," a source told Vardon. "You could tell Harden was annoyed, and Kyrie wasn't feeling James."

If there was a disconnect between Harden and Irving, it wouldn't be a shock. Harden, 32, has yet to win a title, something both Irving and Kevin Durant have done. And yet Irving's unwillingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine has meant that he isn't allowed to play in home games due to a New York City mandate for athletes. 

Were that mandate to last into the playoffs, Irving will miss around half of Brooklyn's postseason games, hurting the team's title hopes significantly. It's an unprecedented situation, and one that potentially could have soured Harden on the partnership with Irving. 

But there were fit questions on the court as well. Harden is a ball-dominant player who thrives in isolation. He's a better playmaker (10.2 APG) than Irving (5.3 APG), so it was Irving who slid to an off-ball role. 

Irving fits more seamlessly with Ben Simmons, who moonlighted as a point guard in Philadelphia but is more of a power forward with fantastic vision and passing ability. Simmons will run the point in transition, but in the halfcourt Irving will likely take on a much larger role running the offense given Simmons' aversion to perimeter shooting. 

There's a pretty strong argument to be made that this is the sort of trade that makes both teams better. Philly gets the perimeter scorer and playmaker that it's never really had to pair with Joel Embiid (outside a half-season with Jimmy Butler). 

Brooklyn gets a top-five defensive player in Simmons who will give them a new dimension on the break. 

Whether Irving and Harden were at odds is almost immaterial at this point—both are in a position that better suits them than they were a day ago.