Between Irving's long-term contract standoff, Durant's direct trade request to owner Joe Tsai and all of the noise and hoopla that come along with the two superstars, the act is growing tired.A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
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Fate of Nets' franchise staying in Brooklyn, rests in hands of Irving, KD
With owner Joe Tsai accruing losses topping $100 million the last two seasons, the current business model has proven unsustainable. The Nets first failed Big 3 experiment came under a hasty owner in Mikhail Prokhorov mortgaging the future to obtain aging superstars. Flash forward to 2019 and two prime superstars dropped into Tsai and Sean Marks' laps during free agency and a third star required a haul of picks to assemble another doomed super team. With the possibility that both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could be gone at the end of the upcoming season, how can Barclays Center remain a big draw? The venue already lost heaps of money on overpriced and underachieving players who could not stay healthy or eligible to play. Since their founding in 1967, the Nets have called eight different arenas home and if this era basketball goes up in flames, who's to say another move isn't in the offing? The franchise was already struggling to build a loyal season ticket base and with non-committal players as the faces of the franchise, fans aren't exactly lining up at the ticket office to part with their hard earned money. Anything short of an NBA Finals run in this the fourth year with Irving and Durant on the roster together, (Durant missed the 2019 season rehabbing from Achilles surgery), will put Tsai even further into the red and open up the possibility of yet another franchise move. Whether that means a return to Long Island at the brand new UBS Arena, a return to New Jersey at either the Prudential Center or Izod Center, is anyone's guess. Only this much is clear, through poor marketing efforts and even more underwhelming play in Brooklyn, Irving and Durant have the weight on the franchise resting squarely on their shoulders.A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Nets History book author interview: Rick Laughland on WFAN New York
Author Rick Laughland joined host Danielle McCartan on WFAN New York's overnight program to discuss the launch of his new book: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn.
Nets History book author Rick Laughland on WFAN
Laughland talked about his inspiration for writing the book, the nomadic wanderings of the franchise and the improbable journey that brought the franchise to Brooklyn.
A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Laughland lists his top players on the Nets Mount Rushmore and whether there's a chance the Nets could find another home outside of Brooklyn at some point in the future.
It's put up or shut-up time for Irving, KD in Brooklyn
Kyrie Irving will need to show up and show out with the Brooklyn Nets this year if he's hoping to net the long-term contract he feels he deserves.
Sean Marks and Joe Tsai were reluctant to dole out a mega deal for the talented superstar without assurances that he would be available and willing to play in the vast majority of games this year.
The contract standoff dominated the off-season chatter with Irving unexpectedly opting-in to his deal to stay with the Nets for at least the 2022-23 season.
All signs indicate that Irving is raring and ready to prove he naysayers wrong and let his play do the talking. Unfortunately for the superbly talented shooting guard, injuries, vaccine compliance issues and missing games for personal reasons have tarnished his reputation as one of the league's greats.
At age 30, Irving is approaching the prime years of his career and a crossroads where he'll either need to ball out or bail out with the Nets still setting their sights on an NBA title.
A disgruntled Kevin Durant has officially rescinded his trade request, but things can quickly go South for him and Irving if they don't start the season on a winning track. Durant's incessant tweeting and debating with fans makes for some entertaining drama, but if the Nets are a dysfunctional mess like they were a season ago, even the most staunch Durant and Irving supporters will start to turn on the dynamic duo.
Look for Irving to play inspired ball , but it still remains to be seen whether the commitment he's made to the team this off-season will stand the test of time and be sustained throughout the upcoming season. Durant is content enough now, but holding together a locker room with supersized, yet fragile egos will be a daunting task for Steve Nash and company.
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.
Nets History Book hits bookstores: Author Rick Laughland interview FOX5TV
The Brooklyn Nets have a nomadic history and author Rick Laughland joins host Rosanna Scotto and Actor Taye Diggs on FOX5TV's GoodDay New York, to discuss his latest book: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn!