Steve Nash Offers Reality Check Amid Brooklyn's James Harden Saga

A few weeks ago, it became clear that James Harden was once again a prospect the Philadelphia 76ers could target as they patiently wait to trade Ben Simmons.

When the rumors first started to swirl, it seemed that the summertime would be the earliest that the Sixers truly pursue Harden. But Daryl Morey reportedly took a stab at seeing if it was possible to land Harden as early as this season.

"No," said Nets General Manager Sean Marks when Morey asked a possible Harden trade, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

While Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Nets are now open to discussing a potential Harden trade ahead of the deadline on Thursday, several reports on Monday morning mentioned that talks between the Sixers and the Nets still haven't gone very far, despite Harden's growing frustration in Brooklyn.

A lot can change between Monday morning and Thursday afternoon, but no matter what happens then, Nets head coach Steve Nash believes that Harden is committed to the Brooklyn Nets this season.

Nash Weighs in on the Situation

As the Nets geared up for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Nash addressed reporters a couple of hours before the game for a routine pregame press conference.

Although Brooklyn was just a couple of hours away from tipping off against the Nuggets, most of Nash's press conference consisted of questions unrelated to the upcoming game. And to no surprise, a lot of the discussion was related to Harden.

"I've talked to James, he wants to be here," said Nash on Sunday. "He wants to be here long-term as well. I don't think anything's changed other than noise from the outside. James wants to be here, and we're building with James, and we think we have the best chance to win with James. I don't think anything has changed on the inside, in our locker room, and in our communication. It's just the noise outside."

A few questions later, a reporter bluntly asked: "You guys are not trading James Harden?" Nash then replied, "Yes, that's correct."

Lately, Harden and the Nets' front office have given Nash no indication that the former MVP guard will be moved this week. Unless Harden comes out and informs the Nets he would like to be moved ahead of the deadline, the veteran star will likely remain in Brooklyn to give them one final shot to convince him to stay long-term.

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