Adrian Wojnarowski's Rough Year Continues at Trade Deadline

Typically, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski flexes his muscles during the NBA's trade deadline, breaking 80% of the news and running his competition off the street. This year, however, Wojnarowski hardly had reason to celebrate.

On Thursday, the Nets stunned Wojnarowski's followers when they traded James Harden to the 76ers for Ben Simmons. Just a day ago, Wojnarowski assured his followers there were no talks between Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

Wojnarowski was so confident with his sources he went on air to belittle his ESPN teammate Brian Windhorst, who reported on Wednesday that the Nets and 76ers were ready to pull the trigger.

"Greeny, we’re in the deal zone,” Windhorst said on a Harden-Simmons trade. “I suspect they’re gonna get it done."

Moments later, Wojnarowski appeared on the same show to diminish Windhorst's reporting.

"There is no negotiation going on between Philadelphia and Brooklyn," Wojnarowski told Greenberg.

What a teammate.

Obviously, Windhorst had better information than Wojnarowski. James Harden is now a 76er, and Ben Simmons is a Net.

Yet losing the civil war to Windhorst wasn't Wojnarowski's only L on Thursday. This year, for the first time in his career, Wojnarowski finished second in trade deadline scoops. According to StatMuse, Shams Charania, Wojnarowski's former protégé, beat him head to head:

Wojnarowski is in the midst of a rough stretch. A year ago, he shilled for the Chinese Communist Party by sending Sen. Josh Hawley a "fuck you" email after Hawley challenged the NBA's silence on human rights violations in China. ESPN suspended Wojnarowski for his tantrum.

Then in April, Wojnarowski lied about police officers in a column he posted. Wojnarowskifalsely claimed that Jacob Blake was unarmed when police shot him. However, Blake himself admitted he had a knife that day, information that we all had months before Wojnarowski's column. Wojnarowski has still not addressed this inexcusable, devious lie.

In many ways, Wojnarowski is like the worst version of LeBron James. He obediently follows the CCP's orders, chokes in the biggest moments of his game and has a reputation for undermining his own teammates.

It's safe to assume the other NBA reporters whom Wojnarowski treated poorly in the past -- including those he chased out of ESPN, like Marc Stein -- took joy in his recent choke-job.

Adrian Wojnarowski's contract with ESPN expires this summer, sources tell OutKick. Not ideal timing.