A Nightmare in Brooklyn

 





Written by: Max Turtz of Swish Tribune


As a Brooklyn Nets fan, shock has become somewhat normal in the past few years. Blockbuster trades, playoff woes, coaching issues, and COVID regulations have all contributed to the up and down road of the last few seasons. Now, halfway through the 2022-23 season, the Nets have looked like a potential contender. 


Recently, drama has overfilled Brooklyn, with Kevin Durant’s MCL injury, the first major issue since Steve Nash’s departure. KD’s injury has put some extra weight on Kyrie Irving, especially on the offensive end. Kyrie has stepped up to the plate with jaw-dropping talent every night. This has helped the Nets stay near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. 


All seemed well until Kyrie requested a trade on Friday the 3rd. To say this was a shock would be an understatement. First of all, the team has been managing well without KD and Kyrie is playing fantastic basketball. It’s unlikely that Kyrie will find a better role somewhere else. He is on the path to a championship and makes no sense to sacrifice that at this point in the season. In terms of his contract, Kyrie is due for an extension as this is the final year of his contract. He is making over $36M this season, which to him is apparently not enough. Before requesting a trade, Kyrie sought to obtain a 4-year max extension that would pay close to $50M a year. Sean Marks and the Nets declined Kyrie’s ask which led Kyrie to request a trade.


My first reaction is complete confusion. I do not understand Kyrie’s motives for wanting to leave a 4-seed, 32-20 team, and Kevin Durant. Kyrie has contributed a lot to the team this season and it feels as if he is throwing it all away. The other reaction I have is more practical—why is Kyrie not willing to skip the max extension and have the front office trade for a few guys? To me, this is the obvious and best solution. Kyrie would still be making plenty of money, playing with KD, and the Nets could pick up some guys to strengthen their playoff campaign. 


Now, on February 7th, Kyrie is gone, and Spencer Dinwiddie is back in Brooklyn. In addition, the Nets have picked up Dorian-Finney-Smith and the 2027 and 2029 first and second-round picks. The Nets still have a solid lineup but certainly will need to make up on the offensive side. Defensively, the Nets have been decent and hopefully only get better. With Ben Simmons back and KD recovering through the All-Star Break, the Nets have their work cut out for them.


With the trade deadline only a few days away, the Brooklyn front office is feeling the heat. The future of the Net’s season is on the hot seat.



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