As Kevin Durant and the Nets enter the following stage of their stalemate, there’s one necessary element to bear in mind.
As a lot as either side would hate to confess it, they want one another and can be worse off within the aftermath of a messy divorce.
If Durant will get his want and is traded, meaning a workforce gave Brooklyn a bundle past its wildest desires, a bundle that far supersedes the grift the Utah Jazz pulled off within the Rudy Gobert deal. As a reminder, Gobert is a premier defensive participant with a restricted offensive ability set, and the Jazz obtained 4 draft picks, a decide swap, 4 function gamers and 2022 first-round decide Walker Kessler within the deal.
If that’s what the Jazz obtained for Gobert, a one-dimensional participant, you may perceive why the Nets need the kitchen sink, the range, the island, the fully-stocked fridge and the eating room desk in a deal for Durant.
However each contender – and potential Durant suitor – is aware of that assembly Brooklyn’s asking value means successfully gutting their roster, and gutting the roster means surrendering the requisite depth historical past has confirmed is important to contend for a championship. Few groups can give up an All-Star, two function gamers and important draft compensation and nonetheless have a roster that may bang with the league’s heavies. The Boston Celtics are one such workforce, however they must hand over each Jaylen Brown and Marcus Good in a Durant deal, and Durant reportedly solely needs to be traded to the Celtics if Good is on the roster. The New Orleans Pelicans are one other workforce and the Day by day Information reported their curiosity in a Durant deal, nevertheless it stays unclear if they're keen to commerce star ahead Brandon Ingram.
And if the Nets are capable of pull off a deal, meaning they’ll have traded top-of-the-line gamers on the planet for a participant a number of tiers beneath him, plus function gamers. It means after years of promoting their fan base on championships, they are going to have willingly pulled an about face within the identify of “taking again management” of their franchise.
It will be unforgivable, and it could firmly take away the Nets from championship competition, as a result of it was Durant’s greatness – not Steve Nash’s teaching nor Sean Marks’ managerial expertise – that compelled the eventual 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks to Sport 7 with out Kyrie Irving and with a one-legged James Harden.
It's Durant’s greatness – not Nash’s teaching expertise nor Marks’ managerial prowess – that offers the Nets an opportunity to win each recreation when he’s on the ground. Working example: The Nets tanked from first to tenth within the Japanese Convention when Durant missed a month and a half of motion with a sprained MCL final season. Irving was obtainable for the street video games throughout that stretch, and Harden, although disgruntled, nonetheless performed in lots of these video games.
Not solely would shifting on from Durant take away the Nets from championship competition, however shifting him for one of many subpar packages obtainable would set the Nets again one other 4 to 5 years minimal, a decade at worst. It will imply they traded D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen for a workforce constructed round Ben Simmons – contemporary off again surgical procedure – and one other participant of his caliber. It will imply they so desperately need autonomous management of their group that management has supplanted profitable as Nets proprietor Joe Tsai’s solely faith.
The Nets would not dominate headlines and airwaves. That tide is already shifting with the Knicks’ acquisition of Jalen Brunson and pursuit of star guard Donovan Mitchell. The truth is, the Knicks look practical nowadays in comparison with the Nets, who will surely not be perennial championship contenders.
That ship sails the minute Durant leaves city.
But the Nets don’t wish to bend the knee, and Durant is bored with the established order. Durant instructed Nets proprietor Joe Tsai he has to fireside each Marks and Nash if he’s not going to commerce him. As soon as reviews broke, Tsai tweeted assist for each the entrance workplace and training workers and mentioned he'll do “what's in the very best curiosity of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Good enterprise is within the Nets’ greatest curiosity, and enterprise hasn’t boomed extra since Durant arrived in Brooklyn. A contented Durant, a motivated Irving, and a wholesome Ben Simmons can be higher enterprise than the Nets have seen because the Nets pounded the Chicago Bulls final season in one of many solely video games Irving, Durant and Harden performed as a trio.
Regardless of Durant’s gripe, Marks has confirmed greater than succesful as a basic supervisor and can go down as an all-time snub for Govt of the Yr – even when a few of his selections are accountable for Durant’s present dissatisfaction with the franchise. If emotions will be mended, Durant will return to a respectable 3-and-D wing in Royce O’Neale, who Marks acquired for a first-round decide. Durant will even return to extra scoring assist: Marks signed famous bucket-getter TJ Warren on a minimal deal, although a nagging stress fracture in his left foot has stored him off the ground for the previous two seasons.
However Marks additionally employed Nash, who had no prior teaching expertise in any way earlier than assuming management of a workforce that made its championship expectations public. And for these questioning why Durant gave Nash a vow of assist throughout his exit interview after Ime Udoka outclassed him in Boston’s first-round sweep of Brooklyn final season, Durant additionally instructed the media he had nothing to do with Harden getting traded to the Nets.
Nash additionally instructed the media Harden wouldn’t be getting traded hours earlier than the commerce to the Sixers broke. Gamers and coaches aren’t at all times clear when discussing sensitive basketball topics.
The truth is, that is probably the most clear it’s been: Durant telling Tsai he needs each Marks and Nash gone if he’s going to be comfortable staying in Brooklyn. And if the Nets attempt to power Durant to report back to camp with out doing one thing to appease him, they threat this already messy scenario changing into fully untenable.
When Jimmy Butler’s commerce request from Minnesota went unfulfilled, he began cursing out teammates, coaches and staffers in follow. When the Rockets failed to maneuver James Harden in a well timed method, he confirmed as much as coaching camp out of practice, and the primary likelihood he obtained with a microphone, he instructed anybody who would hear that he didn’t wish to be in Houston. Durant has already confirmed he’s keen to escalate this example additional to get what he needs.
That’s not usually the best way franchises deal with their stars. It didn’t take lengthy for the 76ers to start doing Harden’s bidding. They created a snug setting for him earlier than he ever arrived by hiring his former Rockets GM Daryl Morey. And this offseason alone, the Sixers signed his two associates PJ Tucker and Danuel Home to contracts. Philly may put his stylist on retainer subsequent.
And but the Nets fired Durant’s capturing coach Adam Harrington and performed hardball with Irving, the one motive Durant is in Brooklyn, throughout contract negotiations.
It’s no surprise he requested a commerce, which speaks volumes given his greatest likelihood at profitable large nonetheless stays in Brooklyn.
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