The trade that sent James Harden from Brooklyn to Philadelphia signaled the end of the Nets' Big Three era seemingly before it ever began.
Though the trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would ultimately share the floor a total of 16 times, the breakup wasn't as sudden as it may seem, but rather a build-up of events over time.
It wasn't exactly private, either.
TRADE GRADES: Did Sixers or Nets win the Ben Simmons and James Harden trade?
Following the deal, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had this to say of what led to the trade: "I accept that there will always be conversations behind closed doors, when teams are unhappy, or players are unhappy, [but] the last thing you want to see is for these issues to play out publicly.
"One of the things that I continue to do in my role is to think about ways we can improve the system.”
How did things get to the point of no return? A timeline of events shows that the writing may have been on the wall well before anyone on the outside may have realized.
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Jan. 14, 2021 – After weeks of friction in Houston and a trade request, Harden is traded from the Rockets to the Nets as part of a four-team trade.
Feb. 2, 2021 – Harden hits the ground running in Brooklyn, averaging 24.1 points, 12.0 assists and 8.2 rebounds through his first nine games with his new team. After recording his fourth Nets triple-double in a win over the LA Clippers, Harden takes to Twitter to share a photo of Brooklyn's Big Three with the caption "Scary Hours!"
Scary Hours! pic.twitter.com/l8qboxjVDX
— James Harden (@JHarden13) February 3, 2021
Feb. 13, 2021 – In a win over the Warriors, Durant tweaks his left hamstring, an injury that would ultimately hold him out for seven weeks and 22 games.
April 5, 2021 – One game before Durant's return, Harden reaggravates a hamstring issue, ultimately sidelining him for 18 games over five weeks.
May 15, 2021 – Durant, Harden and Irving share the floor for the final time in the 2020-21 regular season.
June 1, 2021 – Harden records 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nets complete a 4-1 series win over the Celtics in the opening round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
June 5, 2021 – 43 seconds into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks, Harden exits with a hamstring injury that would hold him out of Games 2 through 4 of the series.
June 15, 2021 – In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Irving goes down with an ankle sprain that would ultimately hold him out of the remainder of the series.
June 19, 2021 – In Game 7, a clearly-hobbled Harden scores 22 points (on 5 of 17 shooting), pulls down nine rebounds and dishes out nine assists in an instant classic. Despite being without Irving, Durant nearly wills the Nets to victory with 48 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but his toe was on the line for a potential game-winner and the Bucks would prevail in overtime.
It's perhaps the biggest "what if?" of the Nets Big Three era.
"My big ass foot stepped on the line. I just seen the little screenshot, how close I was to ending they season off that shot, but it wasn't in God's plan."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 20, 2021
KD on his final shot in regulation: pic.twitter.com/7wnBEUkB8G
Aug. 8, 2021 – Durant agrees to a four-year, $198 million extension with the Nets, keeping him with the franchise through the 2025-26 NBA season.
With Durant signing first, focus shifts to Harden and Irving, who would both soon be extension-eligible.
Sept. 27, 2021 – Due to New York City guidelines surrounding persons unvaccinated for COVID-19, Irving is unavailable to join the Nets at media day ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Irving remotely takes questions from home where he asks members of the media to respect his privacy regarding his vaccination status.
Sept. 29, 2021 – Per the same guidelines, it's determined that Irving will not be able to participate in Nets home games as long as he was unvaccinated for COVID-19
Oct. 12, 2021 – Nets general manager Sean Marks announces that Irving will not play or practice with the Nets until he is eligible to be a full participant.
Oct. 13, 2021 — The Athletic's Shams Charania says on "The Glue Guys" podcast that the Nets will not be offering Irving an extension.
Oct. 19, 2021 – Harden does not sign a three-year, $162 million extension that would keep him with the Nets through the 2025-26 season, saying "I don't plan on leaving this organization and the situation we have … The contract and all that stuff will play itself out as it should."
James Harden on not signing an extension: “The contract, the money is going to be there. I don't plan on leaving this organization and the situation we have. My focus is on the season and winning a championship. The contract and all that stuff will play itself out as it should.” pic.twitter.com/Dugwr89CD5
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 20, 2021
Dec. 17, 2021 – 29 games into the 2021-22 season, Marks changes his stance, announcing that the team will permit Irving to rejoin on a part-time basis.
Jan. 5, 2022 – After missing the first 35 games of the season, Irving makes his season debut against the Pacers, playing alongside Durant and Harden for the first time in exactly seven months.
Jan. 12, 2022 – Two nights after a confounding loss to the Trail Blazers, Durant, Harden and Irving share the floor for what would be the 16th and final time, as the Nets cruise to an impressive 26-point blowout win against the Bulls.
Jan. 15, 2022 – Durant suffers an MCL sprain in his left knee that will sideline him for the next four-to-six weeks.
Jan. 17, 2022 – Without Durant, the Nets travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. According to a report from The Athletic, Irving lit sage in the visitor's locker room at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while Harden "looked at Kyrie like he had three heads."
The moment itself highlighted the reportedly "weird" chemistry between the two guards and preceded the Nets' seven-point loss at the hand of the Cavs.
Jan. 25, 2022 – Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reports that Harden would welcome a change of scenery in the offseason, citing disappointment with the rotations of head coach Steve Nash, frustration with Irving's part-time availability (which was exacerbated by Durant's absence) and a general lack of enjoyment of living in New York.
MORE: Why reportedly unhappy James Harden could move on from Nets
Feb. 2, 2022 – In a confounding loss to the Kings, Harden scores four points (on 2 of 11 shooting), to go along with 12 assists, seven rebounds and six turnovers in 37 minutes of action.
It would ultimately be his last game as a Net.
Feb. 4, 2022 – Harden is sidelined with a hamstring issue, his first of three consecutive absences from the Nets as trade rumors loom.
During this time, Brooklyn's losing streak balloons from six to nine straight games.
Feb. 6, 2022 – According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, sources indicate that a trade that would send Harden to the 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons at the trade deadline is a legitimate possibility.
Among issues Charania highlighted, Harden's style of play was a "point of contention" among the Nets staff and players.
MORE: How Kyrie Irving's status, frustrations with Nets led to James Harden's sudden exit
Feb. 9, 2022 – The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reports that the Sixers and Nets held conversations surrounding a Harden-Simmons swap but added that Brooklyn brass was split on whether the team should keep or trade Harden.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports that the Nets are "absolutely engaged" in trade discussions despite Nash commenting that Harden will be with the team past the deadline.
Feb. 10, 2022 (NBA Trade Deadline) – According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden has "resisted making a formal [trade] request" out of fear of the backlash that comes with requesting a trade in back-to-back seasons.
Harden does not travel with the team to Washington for a game scheduled for the night of Feb. 10
At 10:45 a.m. ET, Nash again denies that Harden will be moved ahead of the deadline.
No less than three hours later, Wojnarowski reports the framework of an agreed-upon trade between the Sixers and Nets that sends Harden to Philadelphia and Simmons to Brooklyn.
MORE: James Harden, Ben Simmons trade details: Nets, 76ers swap All-Stars in blockbuster deal
Hours after the deal was done, Durant, an All-Star captain, declined to select Harden during the draft for the upcoming All-Star Game. As the former MVP slid to the Team LeBron in the last pick of the draft, it became clear that Durant consciously made the decision not to select his former teammate.
MORE: Kevin Durant hilariously refuses to select former teammate James Harden
Feb. 12, 2022 – Durant speaks to the media prior to the Nets game in Miami, saying "James doesn't have to explain anything to anybody," adding that "he's his own man. He makes his decisions on his career by himself. He doesn't owe anybody an explanation, and I wasn't looking for one."
Feb. 15, 2022 – When being introduced as a Sixer, Harden says that Philadelphia has been his preferred destination since first seeking out of Houston.
On his time in Brooklyn, Harden said the impact of Irving's status was"very minimal, and obviously me and Kai are really good friends. Whatever he was going through or is still going through, that’s his personal preference.
“But it definitely did impact the team because originally me, Kyrie and KD on the court — and winning covers up a lot of that stuff — but it was unfortunate that we played 16 games out of whatever it was. It is what it is but [being] here in Philly is an opportunity that I’m looking forward to.”
March 10, 2022 – The 76ers are scheduled to host the Nets for the first time since the blockbuster trade.
