"I will think that the Nets are serious about pivoting when they move on from the coach that was handpicked by their superstar” - NBA analyst says Kevin Durant will start the season with the Nets
NBA and Eastern Conference powerhouse the Brooklyn Nets have a vital summer ahead of them after Kevin Durant submitted a trade request. With Kyrie Irving also having his heart set on a move away from the franchise, the Nets have the option to get into a rebuild.
However, on Fox Sports' morning show First Things First, sports media personality Kevin Wildes said he doesn't believe the Nets heading into a rebuild. He believes this is because coach Steve Nash is still around. According to the analyst, teams let their coaches go if they're heading into a rebuild. Wildes said:
"I believe Kyrie and KD might be on the Nets at the beginning of the season, and I think the Nets believe it too, because there is one puzzle piece in this puzzle of the Brooklyn Nets that doesn't make any sense and that piece is Steve Nash. Steve Nash is still there because he's the coach that Kevin Durant wants. I will think they're serious about pivoting when they move on from the coach that was handpicked by their superstar and until that happens, you know what, Steve Nash is still there, KD is still there and Kyrie is still there."
The Brooklyn Nets have Durant tied down to four more years after a contract extension last year which will earn him more than $190 million over the next four years. Kyrie, on the other hand, will become a free agent in the summer of 2023.
"I believe Kyrie & KD might be on the Nets at the beginning of the season, & I think the Nets believe it too, bc Steve Nash is still there. ... I will think they're serious about pivoting when they move on from the coach that was handpicked by their superstar." — @kevinwildes https://t.co/K7ZKYxOW1K
Summer of intrigue ahead for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
The Nets came into last season as huge favorites with the "Big Three" of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Fast forward to the end of July, and Harden is playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are on the verge of leaving the franchise after the former's failed talks over contract extensions with the Nets ownership and front office.
They were also swept in the first round of the postseason, which means that in the three years since signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets have won a grand total of one playoff series. Clearly, things haven't gone according to plan.
The Nets are the first team in NBA history to shoot 50% from the field and 40% from three in the playoffs and get eliminated. https://t.co/CrKoqgwNt1
The acquisition of Ben Simmons made no difference as the latest Big Three of the Nets did not spend a single minute on the court together with the possibility that they never will. Things are looking bleak for the Nets as a summer full of question marks is on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could leave the franchise in disarray after picking them ahead of the New York Knicks in the summer of 2019.