Durant was upset with Jim Hardens commitment to the team, lack of conditioning

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The previous offseason, Los Angeles pickup runs with Durant and Irving planted the idea in Harden's mind to flee the Houston Rockets. This summer, Harden and Durant never entered the same gym, and Durant was disappointed by the poor conditioning Harden sported during those early Nets practices. Harden was also increasingly candid about wanting to test free agency for the first time.

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"Kevin and James had a cold war going for the last several months that made everyone miserable," one person with knowledge of the situation said.

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Durant and Nash wanted a free-flowing offense, which Mike D'Antoni had helped install last season, but Harden preferred his patented iso ball. Brooklyn coaches noticed Harden would roll his eyes when an after-timeout play was designed for Durant, sources said.

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After posting an emphatic 37-point triple-double on 13-of-24 shooting at the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 21, Harden left the team for Houston and a night of clubbing, B/R has learned. He rejoined the traveling party in Minnesota for a Jan. 23 game against the Timberwolves and scored just 13 points on 13 attempts.

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As last year's regular season wound toward the playoffs, there was some form of miscommunication when Harden was scheduled for morning treatment on his bothersome hamstring, sources said. After another late night out, Harden told Brooklyn staffers his legs felt fine. But after four minutes and 22 seconds of action against the New York Knicks on April 5, he reaggravated the injury that eventually sidelined him against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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Harden didn't arrive at the Jazz game until halftime, sources told B/R. When it concluded and Brooklyn continued with its planned itinerary to Denver, Harden flew to Las Vegas, sources said.

When asked to confirm the account, one person close to Harden chuckled before responding, "That sure sounds like James, doesn't it?"

The short flight from Salt Lake City has made for frequent Vegas getaways for Harden dating back to his Rockets tenure, sources said. He would also stay behind following trips to Los Angeles and meet the team at its next destination. Daryl Morey afforded Russell Westbrook the same frequent flight privileges as Harden. And the Sunday before this year's trade deadline, Harden returned from Vegas to Denver but showed up late for the Nuggets game as well.

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