A year ago, many NBA pundits were picking the Brooklyn Nets to win the NBA Title. A year later, the franchise appears on the precipice of implosion after a disappointing season and its fallout.
The Nets came into the 2021-2022 NBA season with the hope that their trio of superstars, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, would lead them to Eastern Conference domination. Instead, Irving missed most of the season over COVID vaccine issues, Harden became disinterested as he usually does, and Durant dealt with injuries. Even when they traded Harden for Ben Simmons, their new star never saw the floor as the team limped out of the playoffs in the first round.
Afterward, the Nets coached their optimism about Irving’s future with the franchise and rumors started to dribble out about Durant’s dissatisfaction. In recent days, rumors of Kyrie potentially being traded have heated up.
Thursday, with the 2022 NBA Draft just hours away, a report by Adrian Wojnarowski and another by Shams Charania poured gas on the notion that both Irving and Durant could be playing for other teams much sooner than later.
First, Woj reported that Irving has a list of teams that he would approve a trade to if he can’t reach an agreement with Brooklyn, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers.
A couple of minutes later, Shams reported that Durant is “monitoring the Brooklyn Nets’ situation and considering options with his future.”
This sent the NBA world into a tizzy wondering where Irving and Durant might end up playing if one or both of them decide they want to leave the Nets. There’s certainly a ways to go and a lot to figure out, but Brooklyn’s implosion certainly creates some interesting scenarios.
https://twitter.com/Kofie/status/1540068042096476163
Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild NBA offseason, for the Brooklyn Nets and perhaps the rest of the league.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.