Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal

In acquiring Harden, the Nets gave up a whole lot of draft capital. Seven unprotected first-round picks and/or pick swaps, to be exact.

That decision has come to define much of the discourse around a potential Duran deal. Conventional wisdom holds that, without their own picks moving forward, the Nets can’t afford to bottom out and rebuild.

That’s a subject for a different debate. For now, let’s assume the Nets opt for a package built around Jaylen Brown or Bam Adebayo rather than a cache of first-round picks. In that event, they could still stand to replenish their draft stock.

Trading Irving for a package based on draft capital seems like a smart way to do so. Granted, he’s not going to net the type of return the Houston Rockets got for Harden.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Updates On Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets & Los Angeles Lakers

Irving’s off-court antics have tanked his value to the extent that a first-round pick and two swaps ought to be a fair return for his services.

Can the Lakers afford to give so much up for Irving?