Getty Nets teammates Seth Curry and Kevin Durant celebrate following the James Harden trade during the 2021-22 season.
The Brooklyn Nets have many decisions to make this offseason, and there’s none more important than what to do with Kevin Durant.
With the star forward requesting a trade, and then reiterating that desire in a meeting with team owner Joe Tsai, there’s a large shadow being cast over the franchise.
While the Nets figure out how to handle the Durant situation, they have some other things they have to take care of. On August 11, both Seth Curry and Ben Simmons became extension eligible. It’s unlikely the team will offer extensions to either player, but of the two, Curry seems more likely.
According to The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer, Curry is eligible for four-year, $58 million extension.
He lays out a few reasons on why they should avoid doing that at the moment, but also reveals the Nets haven’t shut the door on it happening in the future.
Curry Could Still Sign
With Durant’s future looming over the team as of right now, signing an extension doesn’t make a ton of sense. If Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were both staying Nets, then it’d be an easier decision, but that’s not the case.
Signing an extension now would make him ineligible for a trade for six months, and that’s something the Nets can’t afford if they have to overhaul the roster.
“The uncertainty hanging over the roster with both Durant and Irving is enough reason to hold off on extensions for both Simmons and Curry,” Schiffer wrote. “Training camp is expected to start in Brooklyn in late September, and each day a Durant trade doesn’t happen suggests the Nets could enter the season with both stars on the roster alongside Simmons.”
Curry is a valuable asset for the Nets and around the league thanks to his shooting from deep. Although he bounces around a lot, he will always find a landing spot. His expiring deal will make him a good trade candidate at the deadline, and that could be what the Nets decide to do. If they don’t trade him by then, an extension could be in the cards.
“The Nets haven’t closed the door on a Curry extension, but there are reasons for both sides to wait,” Schiffer said. “Curry, who could be a strong trade piece at the deadline for a contender as a rental, can’t be traded for six months if he signs the full extension. Curry will turn 32 on Aug. 23, and a four-year deal could be his last big NBA payday, depending on how he plays in the upcoming years. Leaving money on the table with all the uncertainty doesn’t make sense, which is why Curry could always agree to an extension after the trade deadline, should he still be on the Nets.”
Latest on Durant
Much of the future for the Nets hinges on what will happen with their superstar forward.
In the meeting with Tsai, he wanted the team to choose between him or the pairing of Steve Nash and Sean Marks. It seems unlikely that both of them would be fired, so a trade would be the most logical option here.
As for right now, there’s still no traction on a trade, but Durant did open things up a bit by saying he’d be okay with a trade to either the Sixers or the Celtics.
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