Kevin Durant's trade request could have a negative effect. There is a time and a place for it.
One rule when putting together a contender is to get the best talent you can. It's only logical that you pack your own team full of stars since you'll be facing off against the best possible rosters. You can stack your roster with Hall of Famers if the stars align.
Yes, right?
It's not quite. That's what the Brooklyn Nets probably had in mind when they added James Harden in the last half of the 2021 season. Three superstars are bound for Springfield, Massachusetts, when they retire, and all of them can take over games. Who could keep them from doing something? Between injuries and off-court factors, the trio played only 16 games together before Harden was traded.
It isn't even close to the first time a team has failed to win a title. Since the turn of the century, there are a few examples.
The Lakers decided to add Karl and Gary to make them even more formidable. The team finished first in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference and went on to win the playoffs. The Lakers met up with the Pistons in the NBA finals and lost. This superteam was made one-and-done by the trade of Payton to the Celtics.
Tom Brady is probably the greatest quarterback of all time. One of the top five wide receiver of all time is Randy Moss. Wes Welker, Richard Seymour, Junior Seau, Vince Wilfork, and Asante Samuel are some of the names on the team. What did the result look like? The only other time that's happened in the history of the league is a 16-0 regular season. Eli Manning and the Giants beat the Pats in one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time, but this team has a one in the loss column.
The Nets are not the first time that the two superstars have been on a team that didn't make it. After moving to Oklahoma City, Harden was drafted to play with the other two guys. The trio dominated immediately, and the team improved every year until they made the NBA finals in 2011. The series started off well for the Thunder, but they lost four in a row after the first game. Harden was traded after the team couldn't agree on a new contract.
When you have more than one pitcher, what happens? Ryan Howard and Chase Utley were in the lineup along with Jimmy Rollins. It's good for a league-low 509 runs allowed. They ran out to a 2-1 lead in the first three games, but St. Louis came back to force a fifth game. Skip Schumacher knocked in a run in the first against Halladay. They won the World Series.
The Clippers looked to use their high-flying style of basketball to bring a title to Los Angeles. The acquisition of Chris Paul meant that the Clippers would have a lot of alley-oops, just ask Brandon Knight, who was thrown down an all-time poster dunk by Jordan. The Clippers were a very good team during Paul's time, but never made it past the semifinals.
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