Ex-Nets star-turned Philadelphia 76er James Harden is attempting to spin his contract scenario right into a optimistic, claiming selflessness by taking a $15M pay lower on his wage in a one-plus-one deal that enables him to re-enter free company subsequent season.
Harden was initially speculated to opt-into the ultimate yr of his contract value nearer to $50M, however with out an agent, he missed the deadline to file the paperwork final season. Instead, Harden stated he spoke with 76ers’ staff president Daryl Morey concerning the staff’s cap scenario.
“I had conversations with Daryl, and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over,” Harden instructed Yahoo Sports. “This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.”
“Willing to take less” is an fascinating strategy to phrase it for a participant who’s a number of steps slower, a number of share factors much less environment friendly, a number of ticks much less aggressive, and equally if not much more careless with the ball than he was as a perennial MVP candidate with the Houston Rockets.
At this level, Harden failing to choose in was a blessing in disguise for the 76ers. There is not any approach this model of Harden was going to command a five-year, $255M most contract extension the way in which he carried out final season.
Just like there was no approach the Nets had been going to offer Kyrie Irving the same cope with his erratic sample of availability.
It’s not an apples-to-apples comparability within the slightest: After all, Irving is value each penny–when he’s on the ground. The difficulty with him, sadly, is 103 video games performed over his first three seasons in Brooklyn, a poor streak of attendance riddled by his choices each to not get vaccinated towards COVID-19 and to not present up for work for 2 weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021 rebel in Washington, D.C.
The fact is that neither Irving nor Harden have lived as much as the expectations, or the value tag, related to their celebrity standing, and now each are in awkward territory with contracts to barter as soon as once more subsequent season.
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Another one bites the mud.
Former Nets participant improvement marketing consultant and ex-NBA sharpshooter Kyle Korver has left Brooklyn for a entrance workplace function with the Atlanta Hawks. Korver was most seen in his function as soon as Ben Simmons joined the Nets within the James Harden deal. The two virtually completely labored collectively on kind capturing each occasion the media was granted entry to the Nets observe flooring.
Korver joins an extended listing of Nets staffers who’re now not a part of the group. Another staff marketing consultant, Steve Clifford, left Brooklyn to re-assume his function as Charlotte Hornets head coach: a place ex-Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson accepted, then declined to return to the Golden State Warriors’ bench. Nets assistants Adam Harrington, Eli Carter and Amar’e Stoudemire are additionally now not a part of the group. Lead assistant David Vanterpool can be now not with the franchise, and vaunted participant improvement coach Jordan Ott has left to take a job with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets employed Igor Kokoskov as an assistant coach on Steve Nash’s workers, promoted Adam Capcorn from the G-League affiliate Long Island Nets, and promoted Trevor Hendry, who served as a video coordinator in Brooklyn for the previous 4 seasons. They be part of Jacque Vaughn, Brian Keefe, Tiago Splitter, Royal Ivey and Ryan Forehan-Kelly on Nash’s workers.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com