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Among the many NBA teams that have undergone some turmoil in recent weeks, the Brooklyn Nets have had more than their share. The Nets have, in recent days, lost seven players to COVID-19 protocols—including star guard James Harden—and still managed to win a road game in Toronto thanks to the heroics of Kevin Durant and surprising production from four rookies.
The Nets have had a roster in upheaval all season, starting with the decision of Kyrie Irving to not take the COVID-19 vaccine, which would exclude him from Brooklyn’s home games because of the vaccine mandate in New York City. The team decided to move on without Irving until he gets the vaccine or the city changes the rules.
There are indications that maybe Irving will be back, but it remains a longshot.
But hold on, Nets fans. Changes will come in the next three months. Because, according to Durant’s business manager Rich Kleiman, there is an expectation that the Brooklyn roster is going to continue to, “evolve.”
“I think they’re in a good position, obviously, if he is there, Ky, to win it all,” Kleiman told Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine recently on NBA Radio. “But if it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I think they’re still in a great position and obviously there are going to be opportunities to continue to evolve your team, too.”
Kyrie Irving Trade Is Nets’ First Option
“Opportunities to evolve,” the roster leaves open a wide berth of options for the Nets. The team could, as it did last year, be aggressive on the post trade-deadline buyout market, though it is unclear just how many players will shake free through buyouts between now and March 1. Last season, the Nets added Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge after buyouts.
But of more interest this week is the trade market. That starts with Irving, about whom the team has had trade discussions already. Obviously, moving him out of the New York market to a place where there is no vaccine mandate would allow Irving to get back to work. By trading Irving, the Nets could add pieces that would better support Harden and Durant.
The Nets have not gotten close to any Irving deals but as the we get deeper into the NBA season, with no resolution to the vaccine issue in sight, an Irving deal is expected to be considered in earnest.
Could Young Nets Be Trade Fodder?
The other choice the Nets have is dealing away some of their young talent, and even with limited resources, Brooklyn has some good assets. Cam Thomas has shown himself to be an NBA-level scorer and Day’Ron Sharpe has shown he is worthy of playing time in the middle. Second-year center Nic Claxton, working himself into shape, has value around the league, too.
The Nets will need changes. Even with that, though, they’re at the top of the Eastern Conference and have the third-best record in the NBA. Said Kleiman:
They’re (20-8) and I think that sometimes, that gets lost. … Somehow, I think with the superteam era and the Warriors’ run, if you’re not winning every game, there’s a problem. I think this is a really good start to the season. They obviously have things they can evolve and work on, they weren’t expecting to not have all three of them there.
But as we know, these seasons are so long, the storylines come and go, and the things you think are the end of the world, all the sudden they’re not. And when you win, it’s fine. I’m happy with the way they started. I think there’s a lot of things, like you said, that will be different when the season ends. That’s not just for them, that’s for every team, that’s for the league.
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