The Brooklyn Nets are one of the strongest team in the NBA right now. They have a loaded roster and have the three of the high-scoring players in the NBA right now. The Nets could’ve won the championship last season had they stayed healthy during the playoffs.
Even having all the talent they could have to win the championship and having a big three on their team, the Nets still tried to make a blockbuster move to improve their roster.
During a discussion with Kendrick Perkins on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. hinted at a potential trade involving Simmons and Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving.
“Kyrie could’ve ended up in Philly,” Smith told Perkins. “[Nets GM] Sean Marks couldn’t do that because KD wasn’t having it.”
Stephen A Smith just said the Nets would have traded Kyrie Irving for Ben Simmons but Kevin Durant is the one who said no, not GM Sean Marks. pic.twitter.com/aYYG76qbyT
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) September 22, 2021
“The Brooklyn Nets were never enamored with taking [Irving] on to begin with. They did it because they knew that’s what Kevin Durant wanted. And Kevin Durant is so tight with Kyrie that when Kyrie said, ‘Yo man, Brooklyn’s the spot, not the New York Knicks,’ KD was like, ‘Cool.’”
“Here’s the problem: Mentally, [Irving is] not all about basketball. The problem is it creates a disinterest in him playing basketball, particularly during the regular season. … And so because of that, in an ideal world, does any organization want to deal with that? No. But most would try because Kyrie is just that special. In the case of the Brooklyn Nets, [James] Harden and KD would be enough [to win a championship] but KD wouldn’t be happy if Kyrie walked away and it damn sure can’t be because the Brooklyn Nets pushed him away. … So, it really is in Kyrie’s hands.”
Kyrie has been criticized by NBA fans last season for sitting out games as protest for social injustice and he didn’t even tell the Nets management including Nets coach Steve Nash when he’s going to come back after it.
Kyrie couldn’t even stay healthy when it mattered most as he went down with injury during the Nets-Bucks Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup. Nets lost that series in a do-or-die game 7.
Smith claimed that the Nets management wanted Kyrie to be traded for another disgruntled NBA player in Ben Simmons. The Nets might be tired of all of Kyrie’s drama. The deal does make sense though as Simmons could improve Nets defense and take the playmaking role off James Harden. Harden and Durant could handle the scoring for the team and the Nets still has a lot of options for scoring with Patty Mills, Joe Harris, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin.
But as per Smith, KD doesn’t want Kyrie to be traded, The two were a close buddy and even planned their signing together back with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 NBA Free Agency.
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