This offseason was a roller coaster ride for the Brooklyn Nets. After getting swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, there were certainly some negative vibes around the organization that had undergone a major change during the season.
James Harden, who was unhappy with how things were transpiring when it came to the Kyrie Irving situation and Kevin Durant being injured, as for another trade. His wish came true ahead of the deadline, as he was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers.
With one member of the Big 3 gone, Durant and Irving were back to being the dynamic duo for the franchise. However, there were points during the offseason when it looked like the Nets would have none of their Big 3 remaining for the 2022-23 season.
Irving, who had a player option for the 2022-23 season, was seeking out a long-term contract. The Nets made it clear that they were not committing to him long-term, which led to him scouring the league to see what kind of market he had.
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Evidently, there wasn’t one. Irving was met with no suitors as the Los Angeles Lakers were seemingly the only team that showed any real interest in acquiring him. Irving tried as hard as he could to find a long-term deal, but there wasn’t one out there.
Throughout the process, many people wondered what kind of impact that would have on Durant, as the two did team up to join the Nets in 2019. To the surprise of many, it had no impact on Durant. He revealed that he stayed out of the negotiations between Irving and the franchise.
“I’m not the liaison between the organization and Kyrie.”
A big deal has been made of how much influence Durant and Irving had over moves the franchise made. However, it is clear when it came to their own issues, they worked independently of each other.
While many people believed Irving and Durant were in lockstep with their plans, it seemed to be quite the opposite this offseason. Shortly after Irving exercised his option, Durant issued a trade request to the team.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving & Brooklyn Nets Updates
In the end, things worked out just as the Nets had hoped. They have their All-Star duo back for at least one more season and the roster around them has been upgraded. For now, the focus is on contending, but as we have seen, things can change at the drop of a dime in the NBA.
