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In trade demand standoff, it's KD, not Nets who blinks first

 Kevin Durant raised hell this off-season by initiating a trade request to leave Brooklyn.

NBA free agency was dominated by where Durant would land and if the Nets would settle on just any old trade package to get rid of a disgruntled superstar.

In the end, the Nets remained steadfast in their resolve to only trade Durant if it was in the best interest of the team long and short term.

As teams started dropping out of the Durant sweepstakes with the Nets asking price understandably high, the market for the generational basketball talent dried up.

After meeting with owner Joe Tsai two weeks ago to reaffirm his trade request, news broke that Durant and the Nets had reconciled their differences.

Now with the season less than two months away, Durant will have plenty to prove in his quest to deliver Brooklyn its first title.



Market for Durant, Irving goes cold, duo likely to run it back with Nets

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With each passing day, it's appearing more and more likely that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will at least start the season in a Brooklyn Nets uniform. 

 This comes after Durant sent shockwaves throughout the NBA by requesting a trade away from the Nets on June 29. 

 Over two weeks has passed since that date, NBA Summer League will wrap up this weekend with executives heading back to their respective cities. 

 While Sean Marks has had face time with Masai Ujiri, Rob Pelinka, James Jones and other general managers likely linked to a potential Durant or Irving deal, there's reportedly no momentum toward any trade. 

 As things stand today, Durant and Irving appear likely to run it back with Ben Simmons in the fold for the first time along with off-season additions Royce O'Neal and T.J. Warren. 

Despite the turmoil, there's no reason to think Brooklyn can't compete for a top spot on the conference with an improved supporting cast and full-time Irving. 

 Now, the parties will need to reconcile their differences and unify to chase an NBA championship that has eluded the Nets for their entire existence in the league.

With Kyrie contract drama in the books, now Sean Marks' real works begins

Kyrie Irving has elected to opt-in to his $37 million player option for the 2022-23 season after negotiations dragged Nets' fans to some dark places and played out publicly through the media. Sean Marks and Joe Tsai held firm and Irving at the end of the day bet on himself and remained steadfast in his four-year commitment to Kevin Durant and the Nets. The aggravating part about the whole scenario is that the week long drama sidetracked the front office from addressing other important components of the team's roster. Brooklyn still holds Bird Rights to Bruce Brown and Nicholas Claxton, thereby matching any team's offer, if Tsai is willing to go above the luxury tax threshold. There are a few free agent targets that make sense for the Nets, as they try to get more athletic wings and bigs that can play both sides of the floor. PJ Tucker, Otto Porter Jr and Gary Payton II are top of mind as unrestricted free agents. Andre Drummond is an unrestricted free agent and the Nets will need to determine whether he fits into the team's plans for this season. One star player who's been linked to the Nets is John Collins. Atlanta will likely command either Joe Harris or Nicholas Claxton with a combination of draft picks to make things work. It's never been more apparent than now that the Nets championship window is here and now. With Irving committed, or so we think, to the team for this upcoming season, Marks will earn his paycheck and make up for a subpar 2021-22 off-season with additional roster manuevering to position t.he team for a legitimate title run .

Could Nets do unthinkable and trade Kyrie for Harden?

 




Before you head for the comments and call foul on this idea, I promise there is a shred of logic. There's been a lot of noise regarding the Nets ongoing negotiations with Kyrie Irving on a long-term deal. While many leaks, mainly from Kyrie's camp, are intimating that Irving has a wishlist of teams he'd consider destinations via the sign-and-trade route. 

If Marks let's Irving walk to a team with cap space or Irving takes considerably less money to join a contender, Kevin Durant could be soon out the door behind him by way of a trade request.

Perhaps somewhat surprising is that the Philadelphia 76ers are among the squads Irving would consider if he leaves Brooklyn. Not many teams have the cap space to sign Irving outright, so they'd need to have the Nets' help facilitate a sign and trade scenario to make things work.

In the most ironic twist if fate you could ever envision, what if James Harden, became part of a package back to Brooklyn and Irving to the City of Brotherly love?


We all know how much Daryl Morey loves Harden, but even he sees the player is not what he once was in his prime. However, with Durant as the top scoring options, surrounded by 3-point shooting and Simmons potentially being a playmaker, Harden might be a better fit than most think.

It's clear that the two wouldn't coexist as teammates anymore, but if the financials line up and Kevin Durant has his old running mate back alongside Ben Simmons, who's to say it couldn't work?

Durant was clearly bitter about Harden's abrupt exit from the Nets as he didn't buy I'm to Steve Nash's offensively philosophy that was coordinator by former assistant coach, now with the Lakers, Jordan Ott. 

The Nets hired Igor Kokosov, Jason Kidd's offensive guru in Dallas to head up play calling on the offensive side, an offense that was too isolation heavy and Durant reliant last year.

The most likely scenario is that Brooklyn runs it back with Durant, Irving and a potentially healthy Simmons. It's a dark horse scenario that is getting little attention, but stranger things have happened around these Brooklyn Nets.



If Nets let Kyrie walk, KD's days in Brooklyn will be numbered

 


Don't forget, without Kyrie Irving, there is no Kevin Durant. Case closed. As much as an enigma as Irving is and the headaches he's caused the fan base, management and the coaching staff, he was the main recruiter bringing Durant to Brooklyn.


Growing up a Nets fan in West Orange, New Jersey, Irving claimed the New Jersey Nets as his hometown team. Irving marveled at the Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin squad that clinched back to back NBA Finals berths in 2002 and 2003.

After starring alongside LeBron James to bring a title to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, Irving had a special motivation to bring a first Larry O'Brien trophy to Nets fans in the New York metropolitan area and Brooklyn.

After a honeymoon period during the 2019 summer, Irving has played in 103 of 226 regular season games, while the super team in Brooklyn has delivered just one playoff series win together.

Although Durant signed a four-year contract extension in the summer of 2021, if the Nets elect to allow Irving to test free agency, they run the risk of infuriating No. 7.

Contract negotiations are ongoing between Irving's camp and the Nets, but the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. Irving has a player option he can exercise before June 29 to play on a one-year option. Irving can also elect to become a free agent if contract talks fall apart in Brooklyn. While that's a possible but unlikely scenario, the Nets want to avoid it at all costs as Durant will most assuredly be unhappy with his partner in crime playing elsewhere.

While Irving is looking for a four or five-year deal, Brooklyn is likely countering in the 2-3-year range with invectives for games played and playoff benchmarks, likely even triggering a one-year team option tacked on at the end.

The public nature of these contract talks will cause unrest in Nets' World, but as much frustration as Irving has caused, the price Brooklyn will pay to let him walk will be catastrophic with the possiblity of Durant demanding a trade.






KD calls sour grapes on Barkley for questioning legitimacy of his titles

 Kevin Durant and Charles Barkley don't pull any punches when exchanging blows through the media.

This time, Durant counted Sir Charles' haymaker when the NBA Hall of Famer insinuated that the old era of NBA players will only respect him even he's the main guy on a championship team.


 


Strangely, Durant brings up the financial spoils that the modern day NBA player enjoys compared to those who played in the 1990's.


 Barkley is merely talking about titles in his tirade and not necessarily the bloated contracts awarded to the game's superstars.

Durant is not solely to blame for the player empowerment era where super teams are the norm. 

Having been in Golden State with Steph Curry for three finals appearances and two rings, Durant now has added pressure to win a title as the man, on the heels of Curry winning without him.

Kyrie's camp flexing negotiating muscle in stalled contract talks with Nets

 



Kyrie Irving is holding the Nets franchise hostage again. This time, it's not for a refusal to comply with local vaccine mandates, but to tease the idea of testing free agency if long-term contract talks fall apart with Brooklyn.

Shams Charania is reporting the two sides have reached an impasse and Irving's camp has listed the Lakers and Knicks as potential landing spots for the superstar point guard if he does test free agency.


Irving is chasing a supermax deal, one that could land him a starting salary of $45.2 million for 2022-23.

In three seasons in Brooklyn, Irving has only played in 103 out of 226 possible regular season contests for a multitude of reasons from personal to vaccine intelligibility, unexcused absences and injury.


It's hard to even argue with Sean Marks and company being reticent in forking over a haul and hitch their wagon to a player who has been out of the lineup more than he's been in it.

Irving, even when he's been away from the team, has been a major distraction, leaving his teammates to answer for why he's been missing in action for large chunks of the year.

Ultimately, once the posturing from each side and battle for leverage plays out, it's more likely than not Irving remains in Brooklyn, but perhaps the Nets need to call Irving's free agent bluff by still holding firm at the negotiating table.

 

Richard Jefferson: KD's next title 'most important one', thinks 'he will get it done' with Nets



Richard Jefferson knows a thing or two about playing in NBA Finals. He played in two with the New Jersey Nets and two with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning the 2016 Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

  The all-time Net great compared LeBron James winning the title in his hometown in 2016, Steph Curry winning his fourth ring and first finals MVP this June, with how Kevin Durant will feel when he climbs that NBA mountaintop in Brooklyn. Brooklyn took a major step back last year with a part-time, unvaccinated Kyrie Irving causing a major distraction, while a disgruntled James Harden demanded a trade out of town.

Durant missed large chunks of the year with a sprained left MCL, while Ben Simmons, the centerpiece of the Harden trade never took the court with the Nets and underwent off-season back surgery.

It's looking like Brooklyn's championship window is shrinking, but in Jefferson's estimation, Durant will still get the job done that he and Irving wanted to accomplish when they teamed up in Brooklyn in the summer of 2019. 

A championship with the Nets would all but cement Durant as not only an all-time great player, but put him rightfully on the Mount Rushmore of NBA legends.

Nets' former coach Atkinson turns down Hornets' job, remains with GSW

 In a stunning move, Golden State assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has reversed course after being named the next head coach this past week of the Charlotte Hornets and decided to stay in the Bay Area.

The former Nets head man was a hot name on the head coaching market after an abrupt ending to his tenure as head coach that ran for three seasons in Brooklyn.

 Atkinson had an opportunity to take over a talented, but young roster on Charlotte with LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges headlining a talented roster.

While an opportunity to chase back to back titles with a Warriors squad looking to write a second chapter to their dynasty, Atkinson's decision comes as a shock for a man who is well deserving of a second opportunity as a head coach in the league.

Nets among oddsmakers favorites to win 2023 NBA title

According to Draft Kings Sportsbook, the Nets, Warriors, Celtics and Clippers have identical odds to hoist the Larry O'Brien next season. It's pretty shocking that the oddsmakers are so bullish on a Nets squad with so many question marks. Kyrie Irving is likely but not guaranteed to remain in Brooklyn as he can exercise a player option. But the two sides have yet to agree to a long-term extension ahead of the June 30 deadline.
Steve Nash has been a punching bag for the fan base and if the Nets get off to a slow start to the season, calls for his firing will grow even louder. 

Not to mention Ben Simmons hasn't played in an NBA game since June of 2021. Throw into the mix that the supporting cast around Irving and Kevin Durant could look vastly different as virtually all of Sean Marks' off-season additions didn't finish the year in a Nets' uniform. Seth Curry and Joe Harris will be returning from ankle surgery, while Mills has a player option he can exercise this month and Andre Drummond is a free agent. 

 Sounds like a heck of a lot of moving parts and more questions than answers for a supposed title favorite.
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