Marks confident Harden will gel with Durant, Irving as Nets work towards 'common goal'

The Nets confirmed on Thursday they had completed a blockbuster trade to land eight-time All-Star Harden from the Houston Rockets.

Questions have been asked over whether Durant, Harden and Irving can work together, but Marks is confident.

"These guys have given us the right answers. They've said hey, they want to play together, they can see this fitting," he told a news conference.

"They're at a time in their careers – I don't want to speak for each one of them because I let them have their own their own voice and their narrative around this – but I think they understand that there's without a doubt going to be some nights where one or two need to sacrifice for the other and so forth. But I think they're all looking for a common goal.

"We’re all looking for that common goal, as I've said before, is to be the last team standing. I think when you have a group that is willing to sacrifice, and play hard, play together on the court, and they already have a relationship, a prior relationship to this, so I think that will help."

THE BEARD IS A BROOKLYN NET.WELCOME TO BROOKLYN, JAMES HARDEN. pic.twitter.com/kFgVEd8qtU

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 14, 2021

Harden, Durant and Irving all rank in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring average since the latter's rookie season in 2011-12 (minimum 500 games).

Durant or Harden have won seven of the past 11 NBA scoring titles. No Brooklyn qualifier has ever finished higher than fifth in the league.

Marks said the opportunity to land a player like Harden came at a good time for the Nets.

"The timing was right for us. And fortunately, any time you get an opportunity to acquire or try to acquire a player of this calibre it's something you do look hard at [and] is something we did," he said.