The Brooklyn Nets project has been a failure: James Harden gone, Kyrie Irving wants out, Kevin Durant rumors rife and Ben Simmons clueless: What next?
The arrival of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019 was supposed to be the turning point for the Brooklyn Nets franchise. In a single swoop, they landed two of the most gifted scorers and skilled players in the history of the NBA.
Durant’s lost 2019-2020 season due to a devastating injury meant that 2020 was the start of what could be a dynasty. Expectations rose a few more levels higher when the Nets pulled off a blockbuster trade that gave them former MVP James Harden.
Harden allowed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to dominate most of their matchups. The Nets were the heavy favorites to win the championship that year because of their fearsome trio.
After Nets Nation made one of the biggest trades to acquire Ben Simmons and formed a Big 3 with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Charles Barkley believes Brooklyn are now favorites to win the NBA title 👀
Is Ben Simmons the final piece of the Nets' championship puzzle? 👇 https://t.co/jPQhzqrv6d
Brooklyn promptly dismissed the undermanned Boston Celtics in the 2021 first-round series. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving averaged a combined 85.2 PPG in five games. If not for Jayson Tatum’s explosion in Game 3, the Celtics would have been swept.
Kevin Durant was insanely good during the 2021 postseason as he nearly dragged the Brooklyn Nets past the eventual NBA champs Milwaukee Bucks. The series went the full route before Milwaukee won a classic Game 7. Had Durant’s foot been an inch shorter, the Nets would have been in the NBA Finals.
WHAT A GAME 7 DUEL between @Giannis_An34 & @KDTrey5 as the @Bucks prevailed in an OT thriller! #ThatsGame
Giannis: 40 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST
KD: 48 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST
Milwaukee advances to the #NBAECF presented by AT&T... they will play the winner of ATL/PHI. #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/FQCy51skFj
Kyrie Irving and James Harden were available for only four games each in the series. Had they been healthy enough, Brooklyn’s history would have been so different.
The Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era with the Brooklyn Nets started crumbling during the 2021-22 season
After a heartbreaking loss in the 2021 playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets were again heavy favorites to win the 2022 championship. What was so full of promise started to get ugly slowly but surely. Kyrie Irving refused to be vaccinated, forcing the Nets to practically banish him from any team-related activities.
Irving’s uncertainties and drama eventually pushed James Harden to demand a trade. Brooklyn was reluctant to let “The Beard” go after emptying their draft capital for the former MVP. It looked like they were headed for an impasse before Ben Simmons became available.
Ben Simmons, who was supposed to debut in the 2022 postseason, did not even play a single minute. Kyrie Irving, who was ultimately re-installed, played catchup as far as rhythm and familiarity with his teammates go.
The fully healthy Boston Celtics had their revenge against Irving and Kevin Durant in 2022. For the first time in years, KD looked over the hill against Boston’s unforgiving physical defense. “Uncle Drew,” after a vintage Game 1 performance, disappeared the rest of the way.
More trouble and drama for the Brooklyn Nets
After getting embarrassed by the Boston Celtics last postseason, Kyrie Irving wanted a max extension, which the Brooklyn Nets refused to offer. Irving supposedly received the authority to look for a sign-and-trade partner. Some teams were capped out, while others didn’t even want to consider acquiring the mercurial point guard.
Irving was left without a choice but to opt into the final year of his contract. Several hours after Irving informed everyone of his decision to exercise his player option to play out his contract, Kevin Durant demanded a trade.
Durant’s four-year extension was only about to kick in at the start of the season and he was already asking for a way out. He quickly became the favorite punching bag on social media for trying to bail out on his team yet again.
Kyrie Irving, a few weeks into the season, grabbed the headlines once more for a tweet containing an anti-Semitic link. He was indefinitely suspended until he finished “remedial procedures” to be reinstated.
“He has to show people that he’s sorry…he only apologized after he was suspended.”
- Joe Tsai on Kyrie Irving
(Via @NYPost_Lewis ) https://t.co/m5hOl4owGj
Irving returned after an eight-game absence and helped turn the Brooklyn Nets into the hottest team in the NBA from Nov. 27 to Jan. 8. Kevin Durant was playing at an MVP level while Ben Simmons was seemingly finding his stride.
The Nets won 17 of their 20 games during that stretch to vault themselves near the top of the standings. They vaulted up the standings, trailing the Boston Celtics by just two games for the best record in the East in January.
Kevin Durant’s injury last Jan. 8 put a screeching halt to that run. Ben Simmons has become a glorified role player who’s earning $35.4 million. They are 4-7 in their last 11 games.
Kyrie Irving has now demanded to be traded after failing to reach an agreement with his extension.
What’s next?
Brooklyn Nets team owner Joe Tsai refused to accommodate Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant’s demands in the offseason. He may choose to do it again.
If the Nets do not trade Irving, he will walk away as an unrestricted free agent next season. Brooklyn gets nothing out of it. Hence, a trade is a likely scenario. There are already several trade rumors linking Irving to a few teams.
Kyrie's timeline since signing with Nets:
In 2019-20, he played 20 games.
In 20-21, he got hurt in the playoffs.
In 21-22, he cratered the season by refusing to get vaxxed, forcing BK to trade Harden for Simmons.
In 22-23, he demands a trade.
Nets have paid him $136 million. https://t.co/ToxpQAF4Ny
Kevin Durant hasn’t said anything yet. But, it’s not off the table that he could also ask to leave, considering it was Irving he planned 2019 free agency with. They decided to come to Brooklyn and win a championship.
He’s just into the first year of a four-year $194.2 million contract. Joe Tsai will not budge if KD wants out. The Nets will only trade him if they can get maximum return.
"I'm told that the trade request surprised everyone in Brooklyn today, including Kevin Durant."
Woj on Kyrie Irving's trade request
#NetsWorld https://t.co/DCYLjT5YYZ
What the Brooklyn Nets should do with Ben Simmons is anybody’s guess. His trade value is at its lowest. No one’s likely to rush to acquire a $35.4 million role player who does not even want the ball in his fans for fear of getting fouled.
Brooklyn’s situation may yet be salvaged, but it’s looking more and more like it was a total disaster after it started with so much promise.