Richard Jefferson: Brooklyn Nets Have Options As James Harden Circus Continues In Houston

James Harden’s party tour appears to be over. The Houston Rockets star’s holdout might be as well.

Either way, the Harden saga continues, with no conclusion in sight.

On Tuesday – a day after the latest round of Instagram videos and uncomfortable press conferences – Harden reportedly returned to Houston and expanded his trade list to include other contenders aside from Brooklyn, according to ESPN. (Harden also took a COVID-19 test, which, given his recent escapades and not wearing a mask, may be difficult to pass).

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of those teams. And with Ben Simmons, the Sixers have a young star the Rockets would covet in any blockbuster deal. But Philly seems intent on playing it out first, seeing how Simmons (seven years younger than Harden, and cheaper) meshes with Joel Embiid and all the new shooters Daryl Morey acquired before deciding whether to make any changes.

Publicly, the Nets have maintained that they’re prepared to go with what they have, with Sean Marks also leaving open the possibility that they could pivot at any moment. YES Network broadcaster Richard Jefferson, who was a role player on the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, said it’s nice to have options – whether that’s trying to form a Big Three or sticking with their current dynamic duo of Irving and Kevin Durant.

“I think we saw the Lakers win a championship (this year) with two stars – mind you two of the top five players in the league (James and Anthony Davis) – and let’s say a modest supporting cast. I think if you look at the makeup of this Nets team, you have two of the top-10 players – obviously coming back from injury – and you have a very, very good supporting cast,” Jefferson said.

“So I think whatever direction the team wants to go, the best position you can be in is to have options. … I didn’t see the Steve Nash hire coming, but I think this team has options. And I think there is a lot of it that is outside the players’ control – whether James Harden wants to be in Houston or Bradley Beal, whose name has been mentioned – but that’s just all hearsay and a guessing game.”

Harden (two years, $85 million left on his contract) has pushed hard for an exit, turning down a $100 million extension in hopes of forcing a trade to the Nets. Last week, he partied in Atlanta (with Lil Baby) and Las Vegas (with others). He left the Rockets hanging, leaving first-year coach Stephen Silas in the difficult position of having to answer for his unhappy franchise player’s whereabouts, which were formerly unknown. Harden’s mom, who is his agent (though he also has a business manager), defended his actions, saying he just wants to win a ring.

Houston would satisfy that demand, but it would have to get a king’s ransom in return. Right now, that doesn’t appear to be feasible. So the wait is on. Simmons trumps anything Brooklyn could offer. In the meantime, as Jefferson mentioned, there are worse complementary players than Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen. The Nets also have all their own first-round picks. Marks inherited a team that was a bit short on those. Protections could be important in a blockbuster deal, that’s for sure.

The Nets — who don’t want any part of Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown: The Sequel — have pursued Beal before, but Washington’s acquisition of Russell Westbrook doesn’t exactly give off the impression of a team in rebuilding mode. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The Athletic’s John Hollinger also mentioned Kyle Lowry and his expiring deal as a possibility down the line for Brooklyn. Lowry’s bulldog mentality and championship DNA would be a terrific add to any team if the Toronto Raptors decide to move on and give their heart and soul a shot at a second ring elsewhere.

Toronto, like a few other teams (Dallas? Miami? Golden State?), is waiting on Giannis Antetokounmpo to either sign the dotted line on a max extension in Milwaukee by Dec. 21 or declare his future wide-open. If he does re-sign, those teams will have to pivot accordingly. The Heat (Tyler Herro-plus) and Warriors (James Wiseman-plus) could potentially circle back on Harden. But maybe Simmons isn’t available, and none of those other options work. The Nets might have to get creative and add a third team to give the Rockets the premium young asset they desire.

Dinwiddie’s own long-term future remains up in the air. If he has a big year, he could opt out at season’s end and potentially double his salary (now $11.5 million) while finding a more significant role elsewhere. Brooklyn would then lose him for nothing. Allen, on the other hand, can be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. So there’s more control over his situation.

The Nets will have some decisions to make. Their championship window figures to be two or three years – the third year being a player option for both Durant and Irving. An early playoff exit like the 2019-20 Los Angeles Clippers had, and everything suddenly doesn’t look as great.

Nevertheless, James Harden is trying to dictate everything. But he seems to realize that he’ll have to expand his options if he wants to get out of town. A divorce from the Rockets is inevitable. It just hasn’t happened yet. So the wait continues.