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Skip Bayless has taunted the Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard for trying to recruit Kevin Durant. The Brooklyn Nets player's future is up in the air. The Nets could see Kyrie Irving depart, and rumors are rife that Durant could hand in a trade request if that happens.
The Trail Blazers are looking to rejig their roster around Lillard. The former Rookie of the Year sent NBA fans into a frenzy by posting a photoshopped picture of Durant in a Portland jersey.
Bayless reacted to the post on Twitter, writing:
"Love Dame sending an SOS to KD pretty much the way Steph recruited KD to save HIS legacy. KD sure took Dame off the hook in the Gold Medal game after Dame missed both free throws, and KD said let ME get fouled this time: Swish/swish. Ballgame. USA! USA!"
The Fox Sports analyst believes Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors saved Steph Curry's legacy. That helped Curry prevail against LeBron James' Cavaliers twice in the NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018.
Bayless believes Lillard is doing the same thing now. He brought up the Tokyo Olympics when Lillard and Durant teamed up for the USA. Durant put up a heroic showing to lead the Americans to a fourth straight Olympic gold medal. Lillard struggled massively during the competition, but Durant and Jayson Tatum came up big time to save the day for the USA.
Kevin Durant leaving Brooklyn Nets is a real possibility
The Brooklyn Nets were the preseason favorites to win the 2022 NBA championship. With James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant healthy, it was tough to bet against Brooklyn not going all the way. However, things didn't go according to plan for the Nets.
Irving did not play for most of the season due to his anti-COVID-19 vaccination stance. Brooklyn suffered a rough patch following a COVID-19 outbreak in their camp, which led them to slip in the Eastern Conference standings. Irving was only allowed to play road games outside New York and Toronto, and with results not going the Nets' way, Harden demanded a trade.
The former Rockets man joined the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Nets received another All-Star in return: Ben Simmons. However, Simmons didn't play a single game due to a back injury, and the Nets eventually exited the playoffs, with the Celtics sweeping them in the first round. Game 4 of that series could be the last of the Nets' super team era featuring Durant and Irving.
Brooklyn is unwilling to offer Irving a long-term guaranteed deal due to his unavailability since joining the franchise. He intends to play elsewhere and has handed Brooklyn a wishlist of his top destinations if they decide to move him via sign-and-trade.
However, Kevin Durant isn't impressed with the Nets' handling of Irving's situation and is mulling his future with the franchise. Rumors suggest he hasn't spoken to the team in weeks and could have lost confidence in the front office.
Meanwhile, rival teams are preparing for the possibility of Kevin Durant's availablity in the trade market. That makes the former MVP switching teams a legitimate proposition this offseason.
Guess the Lakers players!
