When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving formed a duo with the Brooklyn Nets back in 2019, most expected them to bring at least a couple of championships for the franchise. But in the three years that the two players have been part of the team, they have created more issues for the team rather than solved them.
From suffering from consistent injury troubles to simply not playing well, the KD-Kyrie era will be remembered as anything but success by the Nets fans. Now, with three unsuccessful seasons behind them, the duo is on the verge of breaking up.
Kevin Durant has already requested a trade, and if KD leaves, the Nets will most likely trade away Kyrie as well. A couple of weeks ago, an NBA insider revealed that Irving hasn’t requested a trade and wants to play for the Nets with or without Kevin Durant.
At the end of the day, it all depends on how Kevin Durant decides to handle the situation. But the best-case scenario for the Nets would be if KD and Kyrie both stay with the franchise and give it another try at winning the title.
NBA analyst Kenny Smith believes that if he was the Brooklyn Nets, he would try everything in his power to make sure that the two superstars stay together.
"No, I'm not trading them. Those are generational players. How many Kevin Durants did you see out here in the Summer League? Zero!👌🏽”@TheJetOnTNT tells our @TomerAzarly there’s no way he’d trade Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. Agree or disagree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3MPscBo1lY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 25, 2022
“If I’m the Brooklyn Nets, we’re gonna go over there, light some candles, bring some good food, bring some roses, and they’re staying. No, I’m not trading them. Those are generational players, you can’t just get them. How many Kevin Durant’s did you see tonight in the Summer League? Zero, how many Kyrie did you have out there? Zero. I’m bringing roses, flowers, chocolates, and we’re gonna stay.”
As Smith mentioned, Kyrie and KD are two of the best players of our generation. And letting them go could turn out to be the biggest mistake that the Nets make.
If the franchise wants to compete for an NBA Championship, they should try to convince Durant to stay with the team. But it all depends on whether Durant is actually interested in staying or not. If the 2x NBA champion has already made up his mind about leaving, there is little the team can do.
