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Showing posts with label Kyrie Irving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyrie Irving. Show all posts

No Sleep in Brooklyn: Nets are becoming the butt of every joke



There aren't many smiles right now in Nets World, but the outsiders are laughing at Brooklyn's futility. A record of 4-17 over the last 21 games is not just bad, it's downright embarrassing. 

Not since the 0-18 start to the 2009-10 season where the franchise was playing the string out in New Jersey have things looked this bad. 

Yes, there was a rebuild under Kenny Atkinson in Brooklyn, not one but two failed Big Three star experiments. But at those three junctures the Nets defined a direction, no matter how misguided it was. 

All-in for three aging stars, all-in for three prime stars with supersized egos and break it all down to reset the organization and the culture. 

Brooklyn now find itself in NBA purgatory. With Houston owning the Nets picks and swaps through the 2027 NBA Draft, there is no incentive for the Nets to tank. 

If you look up and down the roster, it's hard to fathom how this team could be a whopping ten games under .500 just after the midway point of the year. The Nets don't have overwhelming superstar talent like they've had in years past, but this roster should be good enough to be around or above the .500 mark and avoiding a play-in type scenario. 

As things stand now, Brooklyn is fighting tooth and nail with Atlanta just to be in the play-in and that's with Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas and the rest of the supporting cast.

Where do the Nets turn from here? 

Big game hunting in the form of Zach LeVine or Dejounte Murray are possible scenarios with the latter being a more feasible option and better fit. 

Do the Nets lurk in the weeds and wait for the next disgruntled superstar to ask out or be traded and make a play for him?

If that's the case, Marks will need to resupply his draft stock in a hurry to make it happen. The reality is, the more the losses pile up, the worse things look in Brooklyn and for Jacque Vaughn. 

It's never easy trading away not one, not two, but three superstar players, but that's the situation that Brooklyn is in, searching for a direction, hope and positive vibes. 

After a 13-10 start, punctuated by a win over Kevin Durant and the Suns, the Nets looked to be a fun, selfless team that could surprise a lot of people this season. 

From that point on, everything that could have gone wrong, has gone wrong. 

Mired in a brutal stretch of basketball, the Nets are looking for leadership. Vaughn's words seem to fall of deaf ears and the roster is filled with too many nice guys. Bridges, Thomas or the rest aren't the alpha-type of personalities that will get in guy's faces to challenge them.

The results are what they are and until the Nets find their footing and get things right, the pressure cooker is going to be piping hot for Vaughn, Sean Marks and Joe Tsai to get things right before they go from bad to worse in the borough of Brooklyn. 





The Nets have a great coach on staff, but it's not Jacque Vaughn




Jacque Vaughn may have signed a multi-year extension less than a year ago on February 21, 2023, but early returns for his tenure as head coach have been less than promising. 

Yes, Vaughn was head man when the Nets won 12 straight games last season , including an 18 -2 stretch with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way. However, everything went south from that point on with Vaughn. 

The Nets stumbled into the sixth seed in the conference in the aftermath of the Irving and Durant trades.  Brooklyn was swept with relative ease by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.  

Vaughn also took over as the interim Nets head coach back in 2020, during the NBA bubble season with the team being swept out of the first round by the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors. 

Vaughn has an 0-8 playoff record and has been reluctant to play young budding star Cam Thomas, whose offensive prowess is unmatched, but his defense needs some improvement. 

Even veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has spent critical moments on the bench and looks visibly discontent with his role on the team. 

The Brooklyn Nets started the season as one of the surprise stories in the NBA at 13-10, but have gone 3-14 since that point. 

The assistant coach that the team has seemed to respond to and has a great understanding of opponents is none other than Kevin Ollie. Ollie won the 2014 NCAA National Championship with his alma mater, UConn.

Ollie was investigated by the NCAA for compliance issues and ultimately was relieved of his duties as head coach. 

A long-time NBA veteran, Ollie joined Vaughn's staff this season. With the Nets experiencing a talent deficit and coaching deficit, a change might be needed in a leadership position and Ollie can more than fill those shoes. 

Former Net escapes scary injury with minimal damage

Mention Kyrie Irving and foot injury to a Brooklyn Nets fan and they will immediately hang their head in frustration. 

Of course, their thoughts will immediately go to the Game 4 in the second round of the 2021 NBA playoffs  injury when Giannis Antetokuonmpo slide under Irving on a layup attempt and caused the then-Nets point guard to severely turn his ankle. 

Irving was lost for the remainder of the playoffs and Brooklyn lost a devastating Game 7 with Kevin Durant's toe touching the line on a potential game winning three.

Flash forward 2 and 1/2 years and Irving is on Dallas after demanding a trade from the Nets. 

Now with his new club, Irving suffered what looked like it could be a horrific foot injury on Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers.

Luckily, Dallas' point guard avoided a worst case scenario. 



Nets shockingly lead all NBA teams in this statistical category

 


When you think of the Brooklyn Nets, you probably think of a gritty team full of selfless players who are overachieving through 20 games this year. 

Led by Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas, the Nets have a fun, up-tempo style of play that makes heads turn and lights up the scoreboard. An overlooked factor for this Nets squad is the fact that it astonishingly leads the entire league in rebounds per game at 48. Just last season, the Nets ranked second-last at 40.5 per contest.




It's a remarkable turnaround to go from virtually the worst rebounding team in the league to the best, but that's exactly what the Nets have done. 

Led by big men Day'Ron Sharpe, Nic Claxton and veterans Dennis Smith Jr., Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Johnson, Brooklyn is attacking the boards with ferocity. 

Much of it has to do with an organizational philosophical change from a 1 through 5 switching defensive scheme last year, to a drop defense with hints of matchup zone sprinkled in. 

The personnel has changed over drastically as well with divas Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing elsewhere, and the 2023-24 version has adopted a hard hat mentality to gang rebound and do the dirty work. 

Brooklyn is one-game out of the No. 5 seed, held by the Knicks, as they're crowded among other Eastern Conference squads looking to reach the top six. 

As long as the Nets are able to shake the early injury bug that has plague virtually every player on the roster outside of Nic Claxton, there's no reason to believe the Nets rebounding prowess will change for the worse anytime soon. 

Executive shares successes and challenges of near three decade career with Nets



Lou Terminello is synonymous with the New Jersey Nets era of the franchise. Having joined the club in 1981 when the team opened Brendan Byrne arena. 

Terminello is a well-respected name in Nets history and ascended from a role of Director of Sales to Vice President of Partnerships and Sales upon his departure from the team. 



The Nets 28-year stay in the Meadowlands is the longest at one venue in the team's now 56-year history. 

Terminello sits down with Randy Zellea of Backsports Page and Rick Laughland of Nets Insider to reflect on the Jersey Days and all the ins and outs of what was happening both on the court and on the business side of the team.

Nets can't hold their breath hoping Ben Simmons returns healthy




When healthy, Ben Simmons is a difference-maker. A 6-foot-10 point guard who can race out on fastbreaks and find teammates for open shots. He's a lockdown defender and while his offensive game leaves a lot to be desired, he's an impactful starter when he can stay on the court. 

The only problem is, when the Nets traded James Harden to Philadelphia for a package revolving around Simmons, they didn't get the All-Star level point guard, but a physically compromised and mentally taxed version of him.  

Simmons never saw meaningful minutes when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were on the team  and Sean Mark's vision of forming a new big three after the departure of Harden went by the wayside. 

Simmons underwent back surgery in the 2022 offseason and returned for the 2022-23 season, still looking sluggish and not fully healthy. The Nets shut him down 42 games into the last campaign and were hopeful that the 2023-24 campaign would mark a breakout season for the former All-Star. 

Things looked promising early, but once again an injury has Simmons sidelined and set to be revaluated in two weeks after a nerve issue cropped up in his back. 

Nets fans have been on this rollercoaster journey with Simmons and the Nets medical staff before. For Brooklyn, anything Simmons adds this year will be a bonus, but the organization cannot put its trust and faith fully in the idea of him returning to full health this season, if not ever. 

Marks needs to look to the free agent market to look for backup point guards and utlize the veteran savvy of floor general Spencer Dinwiddie to  lead the way. Led by emerging star Cam Thomas, borderline All-Star Mikal Bridges and a team that runs nine deep including a supporting cast of Lonnie Walker, Dennis Smith Jr,, Dorrian Finney-Smith and others, Brooklyn is in a good position.

If Simmons is able to get back on to the court and make the impact he did early this season pushing the pace in the open floor, then great, but Nets fans shouldn't be holding their breath. 

Mikal Bridges hits career low in this statistical category


Mikal Bridges is the NBA's Iron Man. With 401 consecutive games played and a summer full of FIBA competition in the Philippines, Brooklyn's small forward doesn't have the words "load management" in his vocabulary. 

 Bridges has shot a dismal 29.3 percent from long range. Whether this is a mini slump, a cumulative effect from not missing any time during the season or this summer or a combination of both, it's something Nets fans will keep an eye on. 

 It's only nine games into the season, but without Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons in the lineup on Friday against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics, Bridges produced just 12 points on 4 of 11 from the field and 1 for 6 from 3-point range. 

 It's such a small sample size to draw any definitive conclusions but if the Nets hope you tread water without three starters, Bridges will need to play like the star he showed he can be in the second half of the 2022-23 season when he was the return package for Kevin Durant.

Cam Thomas injury latest example Nets can't have nice things

 Cam Thomas hasn't just been good for the Brooklyn Nets this season, he's been historically good. 



So, with the Nets in cloud nine watching a budding 22-year old superstar blooming before their very eyes, the franchise standout fell on tough luck on Wednesday night against the Clippers.

 Thomas turned his left ankle in the first half of the Nets eventual win over Los Angeles as he attempted to dribble around PJ Tucker. The Nets have indicated that Thomas will be revaluated in two weeks and an MRI revealed an ankle sprain.

 After a drama filled few seasons with mercurial superstars James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all asking to be traded, Nets World was gearing up to enjoy a homegrown franchise cornerstone help make a playoff push. 

 The Nets have been a snake bitten franchise and this injury setback is just the latest example.

Kyrie's Hollywood story with Nets became a nightmare on Atlantic Avenue

 


Kyrie Irving was the driving force that brought Kevin Durant to Brooklyn. A Jersey kid that grew up in West Orange and sat in the upper deck of the Meadowlands, formerly known as Continental Airlines Arena. Irving idolized Jason Kidd and vowed to get the Nets to the finals just like the captain did, except he promised that he'd win that elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy.


After nearly four years of drama, disappointment and injuries, Irving came and went without delivering on his promise. 

In fact, Irving demanded a trade at least year's deadline. Apparently, Irving was unhappy with his ongoing negotiations for a long-term contract extension. 

Alas, the Nets and Irving broke their partnership and went their separate ways. Kevin Durant followed in suit and here is Brooklyn without the star power of years past, but with a happy, relatively healthy and younger locker room.

Now, on the eve Irving's first game against his former club, Nets fans are rooting for the hometown kid to come up as short as he did in big moments time and time again in Brooklyn both on and off the court.

Ben Simmons shows off $13M Brooklyn home to Esquire Australia

 


Ben Simmons is due to make $35.45 million in 2023 and the Brooklyn Nets point guard is making sure he lives large in the borough. 

In an exclusive interview with Esquire Australia, Simmons gave a sneak peak into his life off the court.

Simmons calls home to the sprawling appartment within the Olympia building, situated in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood. 

With a personal stylist, chef and luxury watch collection that would make even the most carefree person jealous, Simmons is soaking up the New York City lifestyle.


While, it's fun to see Simmons in his element and appearing to be settled into the borough of Brooklyn, many Nets fans think their point guard has quite a bit to prove this season.

Hampered by injuries the past two seasons, Simmons has been a shell of his former self and the butt of many jokes on social media for his inflated salary and inability to stay healthy.

All indications are that Simmons is, at least in part, back to his former All-Star form. 

Clearly, the Nets are committed to Simmons for at least the next two seasons and with a mass Exodus of superstars including James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the last few years, the fan base is hopeful that Simmons along with Mikal Bridges can ascend and bring star power back to Brooklyn.


Mikal Bridges named ahead of ex-Net superstar on ESPN top 100 player rankings

According to ESPN's top 100 NBA player rankings, Nets small forward Mikal Bridges hits at No. 33 overall. Bridges, 27, is looking for his first All-Star nomination this upcoming season. Many argue that Bridges should be higher up the list but another Net turned Maverick actually fell behind Brooklyn's good guy. An 8-time All-Star, former Rookie of the Year and NBA champion, Kyrie Irving was named just behind Bridges at No. 34 overall. While it's worth debating if both players should be ranked higher, Bridges' best ability is his availability, as he played in 83 regular season games and all five playoff games last year. While Bridges has been an NBA Ironman, Irving has been quite the opposite. 

Irving missed games for a multitude of reasons ranging from personal to unexcused absences to injuries.

It's clear Brooklyn is in good hands with Bridges leading the charge. 

Simulation determines best Nets team ever

 


Have you ever imagined how the 1976 ABA Champion New York Nets would fare against the 2003 Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets?

How about the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets against the 1975-76 New York Nets?

Well, courtesy of WhatifSports, you can see any team in sports history take on another all-time team, either current or historic. 

Of interest to Nets fans is what team is definitively the best of all-time.

Selecting three of the best Nets teams of all-time, we let the simulation do the work!

The first matchup saw the 2002-03 New Jersey Nets take on the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets

The results might shock you!


So naturally, the next matchup we'd all pay to see is the 1975-76 New York Nets against the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets. Those results may shock you, too!


And finally, Dr. J's 1975-76 New York Nets take on Jason Kidd's 2002-03 New Jersey Nets.

Does the winner of this matchup settle once and for all the best Nets team of all-time?

We like to think so! Once again, the results are quite stunning!


The Simulation possibilities are endless, but according to this set of simulations, the 2002-03 Nets rated as the best team in franchise history!





How Kooky Kyrie, The Bearded One, and Kevin, too, ruined Nets' Superteam

It started with a clean sweep and ended with a clean sweep. Bookended by utter bliss and overwhelming dysfunction, the Nets superteam era was littered with disappointment and sprinkled with highlights. 

 From James Harden's lingering hamstring strain to Kyrie Irving's season-ending ankle injury and finally Kevin Durant's toe in the line in Game 7 of the 2021 NBA playoffs, even the most anticipated season in Nets' history ended in bitter anguish. 

 The offseason to come was filled with optimism that all three superstars would ink long-term extensions, but only Durant made good on his long-term commitment to the franchise, one he would reneg on not just once, but twice.

Irving's unvaccinated status caused him, fairly or unfairly, to be ineligible for home games and eventually the team refused to let him be a part-time road player. Discontent formed in the locker room with Harden growing impatient without Irving and eventually Durant who was sidelined by a knee sprain suffered a few weeks before the All-Star break. 

 Every step of the way, Durant, Irving and Harden had a chance to take a leadership role to keep the organization on the tracks. All three refused to hold each other accountable, culminating in Harden asking out and getting dealt to Philadelphia centered on a package around a physically and mentally damaged Ben Simmons. Irving eventually rejoined the team in time for a late season push, but with a friend turned foe Ime Udoka leading the hottest team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, the Nets couldn't simply flip the switch come playoff time.

 The Nets lost four highly competitive games with Simmons in the series sweep, including falling victim to a Jayson Tatum game winner in the opener. Brooklyn was back to the drawing board and now it was Durant who grew disenfranchised with the direction of the team by demanding a trade that summer, only to rescind it a few weeks later. The Nets, with Durant and Irving leading the charge, raced out again to an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, but Irving's off the court antics, including promoting a film with anti-Semitic tropes became a breaking point in his relationship with the team. 

 Owner Joe Tsai gave Irving a punch list of tasks to complete to get reinstated by the club, which he ultimately fulfilled and then returned. For the second straight year, Durant suffered another pre-All-Star break MCL sprain and the locker room, led by Irving, unraveled. 

 Only weeks later, Irving, who was set to become a free agent at season's end, held the Nets feet to the fire to offer him a near max contract extension. The two sides were miles apart, leading Irving to requesting a trade and the Nets obliging, sending him to Dallas for a package centered on Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and picks. 

 With his co-star gone, it wasn't long before Durant revisited his trade request and skipped town like the other two thirds of the superteam. It was a tragic story of misfortune, missteps and a lack of leadership. The front office and ownership deserve their share of the blame for the dysfunction, but the trio stars not only gave up on their teammates and the organization, but the fans and each other.

 Irving, Durant and Harden will remain as not only the biggest What-if in Nets history, but in sports history as well.

Irving challenges Barstool's Portnoy to 1-on-1

 



Dave Portnoy and Kyrie Irving are two entertaining and at times controversial Twitter accounts to follow. So when their worlds collide, you can expect fireworks.

Portnoy, the face of Barstool Sports included Irving in a post and referencing karma, to which Irving took exception.

Portnoy, along with all of Boston have no love lost for Irving, who indicated he was committing to the Celtics long-term, only to renig and sign with the Nets during the summer of 2019.

Irving has stayed out of the person battles-that was up until now. The NBA star issued Portnoy a man to man clash on the hardwood, to which the sports blogger and pizza reviewer obliged. 


Should Irving and Portnoy make this an actual event, it would break all ratings records, and the proceeds should be donated to a charitable cause.

Nets potential trade package for Dame revealed

 


The Brooklyn Nets are atop Damian Lillard's wish list if he moves from Portland this summer.

While Nets nation has mixed emotions about acquiring the 32-year old, seven-time All-Star, a potential trade package has surfaced.

Shams Charania of The Athletic speculates on the framework for a potential deal between Brooklyn and Portland.





As tempting as going big star hunting this offseason would be for the Nets, the better route for the long-term future is to engage Portland for a trade involving the No. 3 overall pick in a package centered on Mikal Bridges. 

Lillard has called Bridges the best small forward in the game and co-starring alongside him in the Pacific Northwest is a perfect pairing.

Brooklyn already went the route of purging future assets for declining superstars and if Sean Marks is playing the long game, acquiring Scoot Henderson at No. 3 overall is his best option on the table.

Two Ex-Nets aim for superteam reboot with Suns

 



Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden didn't exactly work out in Brooklyn. So why would two of the three superstars want to reunite in the Valley of the Sun to run things back?

ESPN LA's Romona Shelburne tells fans to keep an eye on Harden possibly making nice with Durant and joining him in Phoenix.



The Suns waived point guard Chris Paul on Wednesday, but left the door ajar for him to re-sign on a team friendly deal.

Although,  it does seems more likely than not that Paul will play elsewhere this upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Harden is reportedly torn between staying in Philadelphia or returning to his old stomping grounds in Houston.

While Durant and Irving continue to lobby for more stars to join their squads in Phoenix and Dallas respectively, Nets fans can sit back and watch the duo's tired act. 

Irving and Durant won't give up their schtick of playing general manager with shortsighted moves that will likely cost their teams in the long-run if they fail to win a title

With new CBA rules in effect, it's makes top loading rosters will bloated contracts financially burdensome and handcuffs GMs from building the rest of the roster will quality pieces. 

Lillard lists Nets, Heat as 'obvious' landing spots

 


Damian Lillard is likely on the move this offseason. While all of NBA Twitter speculates on his next destination, Lillard spoke with Showtime about his preferred places to play. 

While the Celtics, Knicks, Heat and Nets have all be rumored to be in on the "Dame Time" Sweepstakes, Lillard set the record straight once and for all. 


It shouldn't come as a shock to Nets or Heat fans, but it definitely confirms prior suspicions that Lillard will be on the move from the Pacific Northwest. Lillard's close relationship with Bam Adebajo in South Beach and Mikal Bridges in Brooklyn will definitely be a factor this summer. 

At the end of the day, the Trailblazers won't simply move Lillard to his preferred destination without getting a haul of picks and young assets for him. Another team to keep an eye on his Philadelphia as James Harden looks to have one foot in the door and one foot moving towards a reunion with Houston as a free agent. 

Should Harden bolt, a package centered on Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and picks might be enough to entice Portland to move their franchise cornerstone. The Sixers will need to scramble to keep Joel Emiid happy and bringing in a costar to potentially replace Harden is a good start.

This will be a very intriguing offseason for the Nets, who are caught in limbo between being a rebuilding team and a true contender. While Lillard can push them toward contending status, he alone won't put them over the top and Sean Marks will need to make additional moves if Brooklyn hopes to rise to the top of the Eastern Conference. 

Remember when Jimmy Butler had Nets on his wish list?

 



A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Nets and Jimmy Butler seemed almost destined to unite.

Before the sign and trade for Kevin Durant, before signing Irving and DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn's clean summer of 2019 free agency sweep, Butler had the Nets as a preferred destination.

After falling in Game 7 of the semifinals on a dramatic Kawahi Leonard game winner enroute to Toronto's lone title, Butler went on a free agent tour that included Brooklyn, the Lakers, Sixers and Heat.

Ultimately, Butler landed in South Beach, while the Nets pulled the trigger on the duo of Durant and Irving.

Durant and Irving were a package deal, but Nets fans can't help but wonder what things would have been like had Butler replaced Irving alongside Durant.

While Irving was the impetus for Durant joining Brooklyn, the New Jersey native had a tumultuous four seasons with the Nets that culminated in his and then Durant's trade demand.

Butler is the kind of selfless superstar that Brooklyn needed. The anthesis of Irving. Low maintenance and dedicated to basketball. Butler has a Brooklyn grit to his game that would have resonated with the fan base and complemented Durant even moreso than his eventual costar Irving.

Alas, the stars were not aligned and Butler is in the midst of his second NBA Finals appearance in three years. Last year his title push fell short in Game 7 of the Conference Finals as he barely missed a last second shot that would have sent Miami to the finals.

Meanwhile, Durant and Irving didn't sniff a finals appearance and their tenure was rife with dysfunction, off the court distractions, and injuries that derailed a potential championship push. 

A Nets trade package for Brown too good to resist

 



If following the Brooklyn Nets has taught us anything, it's that anything is possible. From forming an unprecedented super team to watching it vanish overnight, Nets fans have experienced the highs and lows of NBA free agency and the trade deadline in recent seasons.

Back in the summer of 2022 when Kevin Durant made his first trade request, there were rumored deals of him going to Boston in exchange for a package centered on Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and draft picks.

That deal never came to fruition, due largely to Durant rescinding his request, only to reissue it behind the scenes. This was after Kyrie Irving skipped town by demanding a trade two days before Durant and being shipped to Dallas for Dorian Finney Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.

 Durant was ultimately packaged with TJ Warren for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first rounders. That deal is looking pretty good for Brooklyn, despite being swept out of the first round of the playoffs. 

Meanwhile, Brown's name has been beaten into the ground in Beantown as Jayson Tatum's costar had a difficult series against Miami including an ugly Game 7 where he shot 8 of 23 and committed a career high 8 turnovers.

Brown is eligible for a supermax extension and is set to become a free agent following the 2023-24 season. The Nets are currently looking to rebuild a contending team and adding Brown is one way to transform the club into a force to be reckoned with in the East.


Now there are a few factors to consider here, chief among them is Brown's willingness to not only leave Boston, but to show a desire to come to Brooklyn to play for Joe Tsai. Brown heavily criticized the Nets owner's handling of Kyrie Irving's suspension in the wake of his promotion of a film with antisemitic tropes. Tsai made Irving compete a five step program for reinstatement. 

Ultimately, Boston would need a haul to move on from Brown and the proposed trade would be at least a conversation starter for Sean Marks and Brad Stevens. While Houston and newly hired coach and former Boston head man Ime Udoka are clearly the front runners to acquire Brown, the Nets could be the dark horse in the race to nab the two-time All-star this summer. 




Two Ex-Nets need to rejoin Brooklyn in FA




 The Brooklyn Nets have turned the page from yet another dysfunctional and disappointing Big three era, but that hasn't stopped Brooklyn fans from keeping tabs on three former Nets'  free agency status. 

Believe it or not, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and DeAngelo Russell are all available to the right suitor.

Harden has been linked to rejoin the Rockets, who hired former Nets assistant and Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. 

 Irving spent the second half of the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Mavericks. While Irving rejoining the Mavericks is a likely scenario, both the Suns and Lakers have been listed a possible destinations for the maestros who orchestrated the destruction of Brooklyn's superstar era. 

Finally, Brooklyn's starting point prior to Irving, Russell enjoyed a superb year in his return to the Lakers for a run to the Western Conference Finals before his production took a major hit at the hands of Nicola Jokic and the Nuggets.

The most likely Nets reunion is Russell as the Nets have a glaring hole at point guard with fans not exactly onboard with Spencer Dinwiddie playing the role as the everyday starter.

Another former Net fan favorite becomes a free agent this summer: Caris LeVert. If Sean Marks were to reassemble the "Good Guy Nets," save Kenny Atkinson and Jarrett Allen, it would create a lot of goodwill with fans.

The front office would need to make some roster maneuvering to make this a reality.

While it's clear neither Irving or Harden would be welcomed to return or have any desire to come back to Brooklyn, bringing back Russell and LeVert may be the answer Marks has been searching for after the Big Three era fell apart at his feet this season. 

 Adding experienced but still ascending pieces around Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, who the team has interest in extending, could make Brooklyn an intriguing team next year.


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