The Brooklyn Nets have the ultimate scoring duo in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Neither can be stopped when they have it going and defenders going on-on-one against either one usually ends in a bucket. Legends like Tracy McGrady think they’re the most talented duo ever. However, things haven’t gone as smoothly as might have been expected since the two of them joined Brooklyn together in 2019.
Injuries, off-court drama, the entire debacle with James Harden joining the team for a year, all of that has led to the Nets not seriously contending for the title at any point in the last 3 seasons including the current one. Even now, while they have a chance, they are down 1 game against the Boston Celtics in their first-round playoff series.
And since success has become an expectation, another failure could mean that the Nets think about moving on from Irving, who hasn’t played an entire season for them in his 3 years with the team. However, former Nets executive and ESPN analyst Bobby Marks has explained that moving on from Irving could mean letting go of Durant as well (via Nets Daily).
“If they entertain the thought of not bringing Kyrie back and explore sign-and-trades, they should also explore their options of trading Durant,” said Marks, an ESPN analyst. “That’s the reality of it. Kyrie recruited Durant, and these guys are attached at the hip. These are the cards the Nets have been dealt.”
Irving and Durant are on the same page as one another, they’re looking to win a championship together, and if the Nets persist with their core while also working Ben Simmons into the team, that could be a very strong possibility next season. However, injuries are a concern for all of their main stars, and their championship window already looks a bit small, so there are some tough decisions facing the organization this offseason.
