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Former NBA player JJ Redick believes it would be a disaster for the Brooklyn Nets if Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were to leave the franchise this offseason. Contract talks between Irving and the Nets are at an impasse, and if the dynamic guard departs the club, KD could be on his way out too.
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Reacting to the possibility of Irving leaving Brooklyn, here's what Redick said on ESPN's NBA Today show:
"Well, there's always posturing, there's always smoke and mirrors, people are looking for leverage. Players do it, teams do it, agents do it, this is really nothing new to the NBA.
"I do think the idea that if Kyrie were to walk and Kevin Durant was to request a trade like that would be an absolute disaster for the Brooklyn Nets."
Brooklyn Nets' best chance of winning a title relies on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
The Brooklyn Nets have been regarded as the favorites to win it all the past two seasons. However, a Conference Semifinals appearance in 2021 is their best achievement so far.
They gave up most of their young assets and draft capital to assemble their current team, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Nets may have to rethink their strategy of achieving success without the two superstars moving forward. Here's what JJ Redick said regarding this:
"If you look at the history of them when they moved from New Jersey, the trade to the Celtics where they gave up draft picks to get Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, that didn't work out.
"Then there were a few years when they weren't very good, they were rebuilding, they brought in Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson, then they built this culture."
Redick questioned the Nets' long-term goals, saying they would be back to square one if they were to trade their stars.
"Three years in, without a Conference Finals appearance, without an NBA Finals appearance, you're essentially starting over. Look if Kevin Durant asks for a trade, sure you'd get back a package and some draft picks and all that, but the goal was when those guys signed was to win a championship."
There aren't many teams looking to move superstar-level talent that have a proven ability to lead a championship-contending team in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets' best bet to win the title soon depends on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Nets will likely be compensated for Irving and Durant's departures by developing star players. However, it will be tough for Brooklyn to land a championship soon if they decide to look beyond KD and Kyrie.
The key to making Kevin Durant stay could be offering Kyrie Irving a max contract at this point. It will be interesting to see how things pan out for the New York-based franchise this offseason.
