James Harden on potential, unspoken Nets’ additions: ‘We all know how exciting Blake Griffin is’

James Harden connected the dots himself.

Harden was asked during his NBA All-Star 2021 media availability whether it would be difficult to integrate an All-Star level player into the fold in the second half of the season.

“We haven’t made that move yet, we haven’t acquired anybody yet, so I can answer that later if it happens, but we all know how exciting Blake Griffin is and the player he is,” Harden said. Griffin recently negotiated a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and was set to become a free agent after clearing waivers at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Multiple reports suggested Griffin, 31, was interested in joining the Nets, a team loaded with superstars in his age range, including Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets also employ DeAndre Jordan, Griffin’s ex-Lob City partner for a decade during their time together in Los Angeles with the Clippers.

Griffin, after a decade as one of the league’s premier high-flying forwards, wants to win a championship at this stage of his career, according to reports. And Nets GM Sean Marks has maintained since the beginning of the season that the team is on the hunt for every way to improve a team squarely positioned to compete for an NBA championship.

The Nets have a full roster, which means they would need to waive a player to make room for Griffin, likely a player on a 10-day contract. Veterans Iman Shumpert and Andre Roberson are on 10-day deals, as is G-League big man Tyler Cook.

Griffin has only appeared in 20 games this season since he and the Pistons agreed it best he stay away from the team while they negotiated his way out of Detroit. He was not very effective in those 20 games, averaging just 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes per game.

Griffin’s fit is also questionable on a Nets team that already had its bout with defensive shortcomings. He was never a defensive standout and by the time the All-Star break is over, will be a month removed from his last minutes of action in an NBA game. If the Nets sign him, it’s unclear what role he will play, how effective he can be in that role, how quickly he can get up to speed with the Nets’ offensive and defensive philosophies, where his conditioning level is, and whether he can regain the form that once endeared him as one of the league’s most electrifying talents.

The Nets also have players who have proven effective at Griffin’s position, including veteran forward Jeff Green, second-year big man Nic Claxton, hybrid wing Bruce Brown and, of course, Jordan, who hit his stride during the team’s West Coast trip.

Griffin also has to fight an uphill battle, bouncing back from back-to-back surgeries on his left knee over each of the two seasons preceding this one. He averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the 2018-19 season but has not been able to stay on the floor since. Last season, Griffin averaged 15.5 points. His production tapered in Detroit this season before he stepped away from the team.