Report: Kevin Durant, James Harden talked about teaming up months ago

The NBA has tried to crack down on tampering recently, but no amount of anti-tampering protocol can stop players from chatting. And that is exactly what started the latest blockbuster trade, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Kevin Durant and James Harden talked months ago about the possibility of teaming up in Brooklyn.

Durant has been the epicenter of league-altering conversations between players throughout his career. First, there was Draymond Green infamously reaching out to Durant to recruit him to join the Warriors and form the most formidable superteam in the modern NBA. Then, there was Durant and Kyrie Irving discussing their future team-up at the 2019 All-Star Game. Durant is a seasoned pro at this point and he apparently worked his magic on his former teammate.

While there are certainly concerns about the chemistry and depth of the Nets, it's not hard to see why Durant would want his older Thunder buddy as a teammate. With Harden on board, the Nets possess two of the most lethal scorers in NBA history and an elite ball-handler who also has no problem dropping 30 points on any given night. If the three are able to co-exist peacefully, no other team in the league may be able to compete with their firepower.

Of course, plenty of questions remain, including the current whereabouts of Irving and whether or not he intends to continue his NBA career. But the Nets can at least take some solace in knowing they made Durant happy by giving him another superstar teammate who will likely help him compete for his third NBA title.