The Brooklyn Nets have experienced a lot of ups and downs during the 2022–23 NBA season. The Nets had the powerhouse pair of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on their roster at the beginning of the season, as well as high expectations for Ben Simmons.
For what it’s worth, the Brooklyn Nets did dominate the league for a few weeks, thanks to the sensational performances of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But everything changed for the team around the NBA Trade Deadline.
The franchise ended up losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in a matter of days. Now, they are stuck with Ben Simmons as their primary star on the team. The Nets may have tried to ask around the league for trading him, but they found no success.
The Real Reason Behind Kevin Durant’s Unhappiness With The Brooklyn Nets
Just this past offseason, Kevin Durant shook the NBA to its core by asking for a trade. Many expected Durant to indeed get a trade and start a new chapter in his career. However, the Nets somehow managed to convince him to stay with the team.
Kyrie Irving getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks was the last straw for the Slim Reaper. He followed in his footsteps and got out of the Nets as well, forming a superteam with the Phoenix Suns. But what were the real reasons why KD got traded? Kristian Winfield of NY Daily News explained in a recent article.
Via NY Daily News:
Durant was frustrated by the trade that sent Harden to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. Specifically, he became frustrated with Simmons, who has received more lenience in a shorter period of time than Irving, despite providing significantly less production in his minutes on the floor.
Durant and Simmons’ timelines never aligned: Simmons was always going to be a longer-term reclamation project given his history of both mental health issues and back injuries. He is beginning to come to terms with the idea that it will take him a “long time” to get back to the Uber-athletic form that helped him dominate on both ends of the court.
If that moment ever comes.
Yet, the Nets could have made a move to bolster this roster during the offseason.
As it turns out, Durant was long frustrated with how the Brooklyn Nets handled their key players. On top of that, the franchise also failed to make a crucial trade that could have convinced KD to stay. At the end of the day, the Nets fumbled that part and ended up losing the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden in a year or so.
Source: yardbarker.com
