NEW YORK — Nets star James Harden will miss his third straight game, against the Boston Celtics Tuesday, with left hamstring tightness. It is his fifth missed game due to injury in the team’s last seven outings and his fourth game missed because of his nagging left hamstring.
Harden went through shootaround on Tuesday, then went to the weight room to workout. Veteran guard Patty Mills described his All-Star teammate as the “same-old, same-old James” on the floor, but when asked what Harden looked like in shootaround, DeAndre’ Bembry pumped the brakes.
“I’m not sure how long he’s gonna be out, but he’s getting better over time for sure,” Bembry said. “Obviously we need him out there, but we need a lot of guys out there. At this point I’m not sure how long he’s gonna be out, but it’s next man up mentality.”
Those are conflicting reviews, which doesn’t look good considering the amount of trade rumors that hit the Nets over the past week.
The Philadelphia 76ers have increased their efforts of trying to poach the Nets’ star playmaker. Reports have surfaced of the Sixers’ willingness to include promising young guard Tyrese Maxey, sharpshooter Seth Curry and embattled star guard Ben Simmons in a deal for Harden.
There are seemingly new reports daily of a trade including Harden, who has not spoken to reporters since the Nets’ Feb. 2 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Steve Nash told reporters just days later the Nets are not trading Harden. With the Feb. 10 trade deadline looming and Harden being historically unavailable, it’s unpredictable what the Nets will do.
Mills, however, suggested the trade rumors haven’t impacted Harden, at least in terms of his approach to hamstring rehab — Nash said an MRI revealed tightness and “a strength deficit.”
“I think what he’s trying to do at the moment is take care of his hammy and look after it and do everything in his power to make sure he’s healthy,” Mills said. “I don’t know if [trade rumors are] distracting him from doing his rehab, but that’s the deal that he’s been in.”
Mills said trade rumors come down to each individual, “and whether that person buys into what’s being said or not.” He used himself as an example and touted his professionalism with his ability to “stay away from things that could lead to distractions.”
But it’s not just Harden whose name pops up in trade rumors: It’s also third-year forward Nic Claxton and a number of the end-of-the-rotation players who could be moved as an accessory or cap-filler in a Harden deal.
“My advice to our young guys is to stay in the moment and stay locked-in to what we’re trying to do here,” Mills said. “You’ve got no control over it anyway, and whatever happens happens, and it’s for a reason, so that’s my mindset.”
It’s hard to believe that trade rumors don’t have any impact in a locker room, but that’s what the Nets and their players are selling. They have other problems, like their eight-game losing streak while Kevin Durant (MCL), Joe Harris (ankle surgery), LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle sprain), Kyrie Irving (road games only) and Harden all miss games.
“We have a veteran team, so we’ve all seen [trade rumors], all been a part of it,” Bembry said. “That’ll handle itself. We love to support, we love to be around each other. So we’re taking it day-to-day, not really worrying about any of that.”
