NBA Rumors: Why is James Harden Frustrated With Brooklyn Nets?

When Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden rejected an extension offer back in October, the sharpshooter insisted that nobody in Brooklyn should panic. On the outside looking in, it seemed Harden wasn't satisfied with the Nets despite practically forcing his way there a year ago.

However, the former MVP claimed that his decision to reject the extension didn't indicate that he intended to test the free agency market this upcoming offseason.

Throughout the first half of the season, Harden was believable. As the Nets thrived and looked like one of, if not the best team in the Eastern Conference for a while despite the loss of Kyrie Irving and the key absences throughout the season, there was really no reason for Harden to grow disgruntled.

But these days, the star guard has made it known he's frustrated. While dealing with setbacks, Brooklyn has lost seven-straight games. And 52 games into the season, the Nets are 29-23, sitting in sixth-place.

As Harden expresses his frustration publicly and shows a lack of interest at times on the court when he's on it, the trade rumors are growing much louder than they were before. On Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Nets are open to open to discussing a possible Harden trade ahead of the February 10 deadline.

While that doesn't guarantee the star guard gets moved before then, it does raise a significant question mark. How did Brooklyn and Harden get here?

Details on the Situation

"While Harden has thrown hints that he’s not crazy about Irving’s part-time status, a source with knowledge of Harden’s thinking said he’s frustrated in general with his Nets tenure. He came to Brooklyn expecting to be part of a three-headed monster, yet has played a similar role to what was required of him in Houston: having to be the guy. While Irving’s part-time status is unprecedented, a source aware of the team’s thinking said the 6-foot-2 point guard’s situation hasn’t been as much of a problem as one would expect because he’s played hard when available, albeit in a limited capacity." via The Athletic 

James Harden forced his way to Brooklyn with the idea of creating a big three alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last season, their playoff run was cut short as Irving and Harden battled injuries in the postseason.

This season, the big three was separated mostly because Irving refused to get vaccinated. Therefore, he's a part-time player for the Nets after missing a significant chunk of time to start the season.

All is typically well when Harden and Durant are on the court and healthy, but it seems Harden feels he needs to play the same role he had to play when he was "that guy" with the Rockets as well. He must've figured there would be a lot more help in Brooklyn.

Over the last couple of weeks, Harden has mentioned he would like to see the rest of the season through with the Nets, but it was clear he also wanted to keep his options beyond that open. There seems to be at least a slight chance Harden gets moved before the trade deadline kicks in, but nothing is imminent at this time.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.