How would James Harden fit in with Nets?

James Harden coming to Brooklyn is turning into a very real possibility. But how would Harden joining the Nets work?

What once sounded like a trade idea that was too ridiculous even for NBA 2K has somehow turned into a legitimate possibility.

James Harden reportedly has an interest in joining the Brooklyn Nets.

While the teams reportedly haven’t talked yet, one has to wonder what Harden coming to Brooklyn would look like.

Naturally, deal would cost the Nets multiple assets — almost certainly Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and picks, if not more. This is a perpetual MVP candidate (and one-time MVP winner) after all.

But there are a few reasons why this whole idea doesn’t make sense for the Nets.

First off, Kyrie Irving may be prepared to play off the ball quite a bit this season, but playing with Harden is a totally different ball game. The Rockets guard hangs onto the ball forever and would absolutely alter Irving’s effect on the offensive end — which is where Brooklyn’s point guard impacts games the most.

And that’s not unusual for a Big 3. One player always sees their numbers dip. Is Irving prepared to deal with that after he set this whole thing up to play with one of his closest friends in the NBA and become the next duo to lead a franchise to a title?

Speaking of Big 3’s, Kevin Durant has previously state he thinks that era of NBA basketball is over:

“The best teams in the league usually got two guys. The Lakers, the Clippers — Clippers got two bench players that are pretty good. They usually got two stars. I think Caris is perfect for us to — any given night he can lead us in scoring or lead us in assists or he can run the offense or we can go to him in the post with a matchup. I feel like he has the tools to do everything on the basketball court. On our team, we play unselfishly and we got guys that can play off the basketball. So, any given night, anybody can be the star.”

And while Harden may want to go to Brooklyn, the Rockets have to worry about their future, too.

As Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News and Brian Robb of the Boston Sports Journal point out, other teams could make a bid for hardening and offer more.

This would be an interesting trio and a difficult one of Eastern Conference teams to get through. But, just because Harden is considering Brooklyn as a destination, that doesn’t mean making a move for him is in the franchise’s best interest.