Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal

The Brooklyn Nets have, perhaps, the least clear outlook on 2022-23 of any team in the NBA. They’d only do this deal under certain conditions.

Specifically, they’ll only do it if they’re re-tooling. If the Nets are hoping to ignore Kevin Durant’s trade request in a bid to convince him to change his mind, they’ll pass on this trade.

Let’s assume they aren’t. If the Nets trade Durant and Irving this summer, they’ll likely be looking to re-tool. On the other hand, they’re also likely to aim to remain competitive with so much of their future draft capital owed to the Houston Rockets.

With that in mind, they’ll likely seek quality young players over draft picks for both Durant and Irving. Therefore, acquiring two first-round picks and a swap for Simmons would be a huge benefit.

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This deal would afford the Nets some future flexibility as they move into a new era. Of course, Westbrook’s massive, expiring contract doesn’t hurt in that regard either.