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After months of uncertainty, the Brooklyn Nets can now start building their roster for the next season knowing Kevin Durant will be on the team.
Durant requested a trade on June 30, and while some real offers were made, one notable one being from the Boston Celtics that would’ve landed the Nets Jaylen Brown, the market as a whole wasn’t what was expected.
Much of the NBA called and did their due diligence, but coupled with the high asking price for Durant and his age, the market just wasn’t there.
An anonymous NBA executive speaking to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt offers another reason the market was so low.
Opinion of Durant Dropping?
The Nets expected Durant was going to have a robust trade market, hence the high asking price, but it just wasn’t there. The exec told Zillgitt it’s because of fears he’d ruin their franchise.
“Teams don’t want to overpay for someone who has proven he will burn your house down,” the exec said to Zillgitt.
The criticism seems a bit odd as Durant left both the Thunder and Warriors through free agency and didn’t force his way out of either franchise. As for the Nets, his trade request did make this a difficult offseason, but ultimately nothing happened out of it and Brooklyn is able to keep on operating as normal.
If this trade request came 10 or even five years earlier, teams would’ve been lining up at the Nets’ door to acquire Durant, but it came at a time where he’s been injury plagued and on the wrong side of 30.
It’s not like the Nets didn’t receive good offers for Durant either as Brown would’ve been a good haul for pretty much any team, but Brooklyn just didn’t seem all that excited to move Durant in the first place.
No matter what would’ve happened, the Nets would’ve been worse off in a trade of Durant as it would’ve meant a generational talent was heading out the door. Now, the team is able to compete with a Big Three of Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.
Nets Look Good Now
With all of the drama seemingly behind them now, the Nets should be viewed as clear title contenders.
None of the ineligibility concerns with Kyrie Irving will be plaguing them next season, so if everybody is healthy then the Nets are one of the best teams in the league.
Irving will be a question mark all season with the Nets as he has just one year left on his deal after opting in, and there’s no telling if he plans to stick around with Brooklyn long term. He came to the Nets with Durant, but a lot has changed since they signed that deal together.
Adding Ben Simmons to the mix will be interesting as the trio haven’t played a game together yet, and it seems like coach Steve Nash has some creative options lined up for him now that he isn’t being canned.
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