James Harden reportedly found playing for the Nets wasn't what he had hoped for, and it led him to wanting out

• James Harden was traded from the Nets to the Sixers on Thursday, as he reportedly hoped.
• Harden reportedly grew frustrated with Kyrie Irving's part-time role and team instability.

James Harden spent just one year with the Brooklyn Nets and found it wasn't what he wanted.

On Thursday, Harden was traded from the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers, just one year after forcing a trade from the Rockets to the Nets.

Though Harden had publicly said he wanted to chase championships on the star-studded Nets, recent reports have indicated that Harden had grown frustrated and a bit disillusioned with the situation in Brooklyn. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday morning that Harden did indeed want a trade to the 76ers but was hesitant to officially ask for one out of fear of public backlash.

ESPN's Zach Lowe and Ramona Shelburne both said on "The Lowe Post" podcast that what Harden was experiencing in Brooklyn wasn't "what he signed up for."

"The idea was, you're gonna go win a championship and be part of a three-headed monster super-team," Shelburne said. "And mostly what he's found is it's kind of still on him all the time, either because Kevin [Durant's] hurt or Kyrie [Irving's] out because of the vaccination status, his part-time player status."

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported earlier that Harden had grown frustrated with Irving's part-time role. Irving, because he is unvaccinated against COVID-19, cannot play home games in Brooklyn. Harden had joked with reporters that he would give Irving the jab himself.

On the podcast, Lowe echoed this, saying Irving's absence, combined with injuries, was making life difficult for Harden.

"A lot of this, I think, starts with Kyrie Irving's decision not to get vaccinated … It has affected the team, it's made them thin, and when you combine that with Durant and Joe Harris being injured, they're just suddenly thin," Lowe said.

"And James Harden, I have heard that he's frustrated with the lack of spacing on the team. And the reason they don't have spacing very often is because two or three of their best shooters slash only good shooters are out."

The Nets are on a nine-game losing streak, falling to eighth in the Eastern Conference, which puts them in the play-in tournament. During this stretch, Durant has been out with a knee sprain. Irving has played road games but shot just 39% over his last five games. Harden has put up subpar numbers, leading some to question if he had mentally checked out from Brooklyn. He has missed the last three games with hamstring tightness.

Before the season, Harden turned down an extension from the Nets. He told ESPN's Malika Andrews in September that he wanted to experience free agency for the first time in his career but added: "It's going to be very, very difficult to leave here."

Fischer also reported that Harden wasn't enjoying living in Brooklyn and missed being a "central magnate" in Houston.

The Sixers were a ready-made fit

There was a sense that when the Nets became whole again, this period of turmoil might go away. Across two seasons, the Nets were 13-3 with Durant, Harden, and Irving on the floor. It rarely happened, but the Nets were excellent when all three were healthy.

But there was no guarantee of that, especially with no resolution in sight to Irving's part-time role. The Nets faced the possibility of playing a Game 7 at home without Irving.

The 76ers, meanwhile, offered a ready-made situation for Harden: they're a borderline contender, with an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid and in need of a lead ball-handler. Though they had to give up Seth Curry in the trade, they have the shooting to make life easier for Harden.

They also offered familiarity for Harden — Sixers GM Daryl Morey oversaw the trade that brought Harden to the Rockets in 2012. They worked together for eight more years, and Harden asked out of Houston shortly after Morey resigned. Harden is also close with Sixers governor Michael Rubin.

While it may seem like Harden's trade wish from Brooklyn was about being able to play his way, reports suggest the opposite: Harden was looking to compete for a championship and play alongside players that could shoulder the load. There was no shortage of star power in Brooklyn, but there was less certainty that Harden could rely on his star teammates when it mattered most.