“He stood behind Kyrie at every turn … The relationship is close but it’s not always as close as it appears” - Nick Friedell says the dream scenario for the Nets is to keep Kevin Durant and move Kyrie Irving
Kevin Durant submitted a trade request from the Brooklyn Nets. The franchise hopes Durant will return to the team, even if it means moving Kyrie Irving.
On ESPN's "Get Up," NBA analyst Nick Friedell spoke about how the team's dream scenario is to retain Durant and move Kyrie Irving. Friedell believes the duo has a close relationship but is not as tight as people think.
"That is there dream scenario going into next year, it is keeping Kevin and getting Kyrie elsewhere. Whether it's the Lakers or otherwise. And I don't think enough people are giving Kevin enough credit for being perceptive," Friedell said.
He saw all that happen last year and he understood all the ramifications and while he stood behind Kyrie every turn publicly, I was told repeatedly that the relationship is close but it’s not always as close as it appears," Friedell continued.
Durant was on the verge of joining the New York Knicks when Kyrie Irving convinced him to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. But the move hasn't produced the expected results.
How did the Nets lose Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets want to win an NBA championship, so they acquired Irving and Durant in the first place.
With 36 pts Friday, Kevin Durant bumped up his season scoring average to 30.0555 PPG
Assuming he plays in the Nets regular season finale, Durant would need 27 pts to clinch 30 PPG. He would be the first player in Nets history to average 30 PPG https://t.co/pZbnXVjNa8
However, they have only won a single postseason series in three years. The media wrote off the first year due to the duo's injuries. The second and third years have been failures.
Durant's future with the franchise seems linked to Irving's. KD signed a long-term extension last year.
Despite the loss, Kevin Durant still scored enough to reach 25,000 career points Sunday.
LeBron James is the only active player that reached the feat faster than him.
Carmelo Anthony completes the trio as the only 3 active players with 25,000 points. https://t.co/gQgaqWDL96
Durant's request came a day after Irving opted into his contract. The move completely blindsided the organization. Many believed the Nets were accommodating Irving to appease Kevin Durant.
Ben Simmons could be the Nets' only returning star when the season starts in October. It seems likely, however, that both Durant and Irving also remain in Brooklyn.