James Harden: Kyrie Irving's Situation Had 'Very Minimal' Impact on Desire for Trade

James Harden said Kyrie Irving's status as a part-time player for the Brooklyn Nets played a "very minimal" role in his decision to seek a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of last week's NBA trade deadline.

Harden noted Tuesday that Irving's unavailability for home games because he didn't meet New York City's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for large-scale events "definitely did impact the team," though:

There were varying reports about how much the Harden-Irving dynamic played a role in the blockbuster trade that was also headlined by Ben Simmons heading to Brooklyn.

Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill reported on the Posted Up with Chris Haynes podcast (via HoopsHype) the Nets' decision to reverse a prior announcement that Irving wouldn't return until he was eligible to become a full-time player was a "turning point" for Harden, who then began "acting up" until he was traded to Philly.

Meanwhile, a source told Joe Vardon of The Athletic there was "definitely a weird vibe between them. You could tell Harden was annoyed, and Kyrie wasn't feeling James."

The Athletic's Alex Schiffer reported Harden was just "frustrated in general" with how his short Nets tenure played out given how infrequently he was on the floor with Irving and Kevin Durant.

Regardless of the reason, the 10-time All-Star is now a member of the Sixers and will link up with Joel Embiid to give the team one of the league's best one-two punches.

Harden confirmed Philly was always his preferred destination, even before landing with the Nets:

It's a credit to the Philadelphia front office that it stood firm in its demand to receive a high-end player in exchange for Simmons, who's yet to play this season because of frustrations with the 76ers and taking time to focus on his mental health.

Looking ahead, the Sixers (34-22) and Nets (30-27) are both on pace to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and there would be few things more intriguing than a postseason series between the teams given all of the potential storylines.

Their first meeting since the deal is scheduled for March 10 in Brooklyn.