Report: KD was 'astonished' by Harden's 'sluggish play'

Kevin Durant (7) and James Harden (13) were apparently on different pages in Brooklyn. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Kevin Durant was 'astonished' by James Harden's 'lack of explosiveness and sluggish play'

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Apr 12, 2022 11:55 AM ET

It's been over two months since 10-time All-Star James Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden and the fourth-seeded Sixers will square off against the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors — with defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle set for part-time duties — in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs beginning on Saturday.

Coming off of a 16-assist triple-double on Sunday , Kevin Durant leads the Brooklyn Nets into Tuesday's Play-In Tournament matchup against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers. Although Durant and Harden are long broken up by now, some more details about the duo's tumultuous relationship earlier this season are still coming to light.

'Discontent' between Kevin Durant and James Harden began when Harden showed up to training camp out of shape, per @kevinarnovitz

Durant was 'astonished' by his 'lack of explosiveness and sluggish play' pic.twitter.com/FwZ79buYgr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 12, 2022

In Harden's 44 games with Brooklyn this season, the team went 26-18, meaning it went 18-20 without the former MVP on the court. It's important to note that Durant missed the final seven games of Harden's tenure with the Nets due to his knee injury (which cost him seven weeks total), and Kyrie Irving only began playing in home games this season in late March.

It would take quite a bit for a potential Durant-Harden playoff matchup to happen this spring, but it isn't inconceivable. First, the Sixers have to survive their first-round battle with the Raptors.

The Nets would have to lose to the Cavaliers on Tuesday but then win their second Play-In game against either the Atlanta Hawks or Charlotte Hornets to give them the No. 8 seed. Then, Brooklyn would have to defeat the top-seeded Miami Heat to set up an Eastern Conference semifinals bout with the 76ers.

The other way Durant and Harden could square off in the playoffs would be in the Eastern Conference Finals. Philadelphia would have to beat Toronto and then the winner of Miami/No. 8 seed, while Brooklyn would have to defeat Cleveland, then the Boston Celtics and then the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks-Chicago Bulls first-round series.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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