"At the minimum, they're going to the conference finals" - Stephen A. Smith reacts to Kevin Durant staying with the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant has rescinded his trade request and agreed to continue his partnership with the Brooklyn Nets. The saga is finally over as Durant and the Nets look to win a championship next season. But how far will the Nets go?
According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the Nets will make it to at least the Eastern Conference finals if they are fully healthy. Durant has not played a full season since signing with the Nets. The same can be said for Kyrie Irving, while Ben Simmons missed all of last season and is coming off back surgery.
"Let's assume health and they are all in," Smith said. "Playing full time, at the minimum, they're going to the conference finals. They'll probably be in the Finals. It's KD, and I don't care what you heard me say about Kyrie, I always remind y'all the brother box office. He's spectucular."
Durant remains one of the best players in the world, while a motivated Irving is going to be hard to stop. A possible X-factor for the Nets is Simmons, who has not played a game since Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Simmons underwent back surgery this offseason, but has been cleared for workouts. The rest of the Nets' roster is also shaping up to be a really good one. Seth Curry and Joe Harris are two of the best shooters in the NBA. Meanwhile, Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas are young players who could have bigger roles next season.
Veterans Patty Mills, T.J. Warren and Royce O'Neal are also expected to contribute across the board. Head coach Steven Nash remains in charge, entering his third season in Brooklyn.
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Kevin Durant has decided to stay in Brooklyn
Roughly around two months after requesting a trade, Kevin Durant will remain with the Brooklyn Nets. Durant failed to force his way out of Brooklyn after the Nets rejected offers from several teams around the league. Now, the Nets can turn their attention to trying and winning an NBA championship.
"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," general manager Sean Marks said.
"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
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It was a crazy offseason for Durant and the Nets. The Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics reportedly made offers for their star. The Golden State Warriors were linked to a possible reunion with KD, but nothing materialized.
Before news of Durant staying in Brooklyn was released, the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets expressed interest. The Nets stood firm on their valuation of Durant and rejected his demands to fire Nash and Marks.
Now, they can start afresh with a healthy trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.