Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving made the decision to join the Brooklyn Nets together in the summer of 2019. In the 3 and half seasons that they were together, which included James Harden at one point as well, the Nets won a total of one Playoff series.
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An amalgamation of untimely injuries, controversies, and trade requests all led to the eventual downfall of the Brooklyn Nets. A team that was poised to win at least a single championship never made it past the second round of the Playoffs. Now, they have neither KD nor Kyrie on their team.
Irving, after having failed to acquire a 4 year contract worth around $198 million from the Nets due to his inability to stay out on the floor, requested a trade. In about 48 hours, he found himself on the Dallas Mavericks. This eventually led to Durant asking out as well.
Kevin Durant hasn’t had a conversation with Kyrie Irving yet
Kevin Durant asked for a trade privately as he didn’t want to deal with the scrutiny he’d face for having asked out of yet another situation. The Nets worked exclusively with the Phoenix Suns and got the deal done, sending the 2x Finals MVP to Arizona.
In his return to his ‘ETCs Podcast’, Durant addressed what all transpired between him and Kyrie Irving. He would go on to say that while him and KAI haven’t had a conversation yet, he understands where he was coming from when it came to requesting a trade. He does however, express regret over not being able to finish out the Nets season alongside Kyrie.
KD speaks on his relationship with Kyrie following his surprise trade request:
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t finish the season, but I also know that we’re all our separate entities, we all move and do the things that we wanna do for our careers. I can’t fault somebody for… https://t.co/ssY40CkXLz pic.twitter.com/aQtW0SYLvz
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) February 28, 2023
The Nets were certainly getting into a rhythm as they would have a 20-game stretch that saw them win 18 games. With the Irving-antisemitism controversy behind them, it felt as though the Nets, with some depth, could make a run. Unfortunately, NB fans will never know what a locked in KD-Kyrie duo in the Playoffs would look like.
Kevin Durant is set to return tomorrow
Kevin Durant has been out since early January due to an MCL sprain he suffered during a game against the Miami Heat. He missed the All-Star Game due to this injury and has not stepped foot on the court for the Suns since the trade.
He was seen practicing, getting up shots from all over the court and looked quite healthy. He was originally slated to return around March 8th but it seems as though his progress has been fast-tracked as he will return in the Suns’ game against the Charlotte Hornets.
