The NBA's Eastern Conference has been put on notice with the latest big three officially landing in Brooklyn.
The Nets on Wednesday acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets in a four-team trade that included the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
He joins fellow NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who was his teammate early in their careers with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and former Boston Celtic Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.
The Celtics currently sit in first place in the East, but this blockbuster deal will make maintaining that seed for playoffs quite the accomplishment.
"They've got a good team. You know, those three guys, that's obviously three special scorers," Boston coach Brad Stevens on Friday said in his media availability, speaking on the transaction for the first time.
"James is an MVP and a guy that can not only score but pass the ball and is a really smart player. I thought the Nets were the best team that we've seen in person through the first 10 games the way it was on Christmas Day. So obviously to make a move like that, they thought they needed to improve from what they had. And I thought what they had was pretty darn impressive so I can only imagine that they'll continue to be a team that everybody is going to be chasing."
The Celtics fell 113-89 to the Nets on Christmas this season, notably without players like Tristan Thompson and Kemba Walker. Brooklyn, meanwhile, had Durant and Irving on the court, so it's hard to conceive what Harden will bring to the table.
Sure, this trio is comprised of three ball-dominant players, and many have speculated about how they'll jell together on the court. Not to mention, Harden and Irving can't seem to stay on it, with both players breaking the NBA's health and safety protocols already.
This very well could blow up in Brooklyn's face, but if all goes as planned, the trade makes it more of an NBA Finals contender than it already was.
Boston will be very intrigued to see how it all plays out, considering the Celtics reportedly weren't willing to move Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart for Harden.
