Should the Brooklyn Nets regret trading for Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant
© Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Hours before NBA Free Agency commenced, the Brooklyn Nets took control of the show when The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Kevin Durant requested a trade. The impending departure of Durant means goodbye to not only Brooklyn's championship window but also years of player development and asset management that came beforehand.
What could've been
Remember, before the Nets acquired Durant and his best friend Kyrie Irving to team up and lead their organization to the promised land, they had a promising young core. A squad that featured D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, and Caris Lavert offered promise and, for the first time in a while, excitement in Brooklyn at that time. This young team may not have been a championship contender, but it was clear that they were about to be the Nets' homegrown talent.
Durant decided to go to Brooklyn for (maybe selfish?) personal reasons and to prove to the world that he could win a championship independent from the Golden State Warriors, but two years and an oversized shoe after, KD has failed to lead his team to the mountaintop. Yes, there were problems out of his control (see Irving's resistance to getting vaccinated and James Harden quitting on them), but at the end of the day, results matter most, and in this case, KD let Brooklyn down.
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The Durant-Irving partnership in Brooklyn could arguably go down as the most disappointing one in NBA history. Not only did they demand the Nets to give up their future, but they also barely brought any monumental success to the organization. Here lie the Nets, stuck with Ben Simmons (a point-forward they didn't want to acquire in the first place), facing betrayal as two of their what was supposed to be franchise superstars have quit on them.
What's next
After demanding a trade from Nets management, Durant reportedly said that his ideal destination would be the Pheonix Suns. As for Irving, it has been reported that his trade market is extremely dry, but of course, the Los Angeles Lakers (who are desperate to let go of Russell Westbrook) are the only team that's willing to welcome the most unpredictable player in the NBA with open arms.
The departure of both Durant and Irving is a slap to the face of Steve Nash and the Brooklyn Nets organization. The organization's past, present and likely future have been thrown out of the window.
Considering all the drama, sacrifices, and expenses the Nets went through over the past few years, it's fair to conclude that acquiring Durant will go down as their worst move in current franchise history.
They will recoup more assets than after the KG-Pierce trade. But when taking into account the nucleus they blew up, including a great young coach in Kenny Atkinson, and a team that started to attract real fans, this three-year period is the biggest black hole in Nets history.
