Suddenly, the mud settled and the drama got here to an finish, and the Nets returned to their submit as championship contenders — if not favorites.
The Nets introduced in a joint assertion with Kevin Durant’s media firm Boardroom that the celebrity ahead and his agent, Rich Kleiman, sat down and got here to an settlement with Nets proprietor Joe Tsai, basic supervisor Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash in Los Angeles on Monday.
“We have agreed to move forward with our partnership,” Marks wrote in an announcement. “We are focusing on basketball with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”
In different phrases, Durant stays a Net, and the Nets stay a reliable risk to win an NBA championship.
That risk — a championship in Brooklyn — hung in jeopardy as Durant twice requested a commerce within the aftermath of Kyrie Irving’s contract negotiations, discussions that led to Irving opting into the ultimate 12 months of his contract price $36.5 million this upcoming season versus inking a brand new long-term contract that provides him safety in Brooklyn. Durant formally requested a commerce on June 30, then met with Tsai in London two weeks in the past and informed the Nets governor to both commerce him or fireplace each Marks and Nash.
Tsai instantly tweeted assist for his entrance workplace and training employees, creating an deadlock. The Nets additionally remained unwilling to simply accept pennies on the greenback for any Durant deal, and Durant — a minimum of on the time — remained steadfast in his want to depart Brooklyn.
The finest gives from the Celtics, Pelicans, Suns and Raptors by no means included the respective crew’s finest participant, and the Nets by no means wavered on their stance of wanting an All-Star, a number of position gamers and draft compensation in trade for a top-five participant.
And now we’re right here: Those events had a finite period of time to enhance their gives. The Pelicans by no means wished to incorporate Brandon Ingram in a deal for Durant; the Celtics reportedly supplied Jaylen Brown however refused to incorporate Marcus Smart or Robert Williams; the Heat couldn’t embody Bam Adebayo as a result of he and Ben Simmons are each signed to the identical rookie max extension and the CBA prevents groups from buying and selling for 2 gamers who’ve signed such a deal; and the Suns by no means made Devin Booker out there and couldn’t commerce Deandre Ayton after he signed a proposal sheet with the Indiana Pacers.
It all labored within the Nets’ favor, as a result of the best-case state of affairs for each Brooklyn and Durant was a reunion at Barclays Center.
Two seasons in the past, the Nets knocked on the door of a championship, solely to have that door slammed shut in a second-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks after Irving’s ankle damage and James Harden’s damage hamstring. Still, Durant hit one of many greatest pictures in franchise historical past –— a turnaround buzzer-beater that might have despatched Milwaukee house in Game 7 had Durant’s foot not touched the 3-point line.
Last season, the Nets by no means stood an opportunity: COVID-19 battered their roster, Joe Harris suffered a season-ending damage in November, Irving by no means received vaccinated and didn’t play a recreation till January, Harden received annoyed and requested a commerce, and Ben Simmons arrived within the Harden deal and by no means performed a recreation due to lingering again points.
Now, the Nets run it again. Simmons has reportedly lastly superior to three-on-three work and is on schedule to be totally wholesome for coaching camp after present process a again process this offseason. Irving is on a one-year deal and should be motivated to show he deserves the total five-year price an extra of $250 million. And Durant nonetheless reigns supreme as considered one of basketball’s finest gamers, even when he struggled to impose his will towards the league’s finest protection in Boston throughout final season’s first-round sweep.
Durant returns to a roster that has been improved, however nonetheless wants work. Marks traded a first-round decide and a commerce exception to the Utah Jazz for vaunted three-and-D wing Royce O’Neale. He additionally signed well-known scorer TJ Warren to a minimal deal, although a nagging foot damage has saved Warren off the ground for every of the previous two seasons. The Nets additionally added athletic guard Edmond Sumner, who can also be coming off a leg damage.
Marks additionally re-signed each Patty Mills and Nic Claxton to new two-year offers. The Nets even have their mid-level exception out there to signal free brokers. With Durant reaffirming his want to remain in Brooklyn, the free agent market simply opened again up for enterprise.
And so did Las Vegas, as a result of the Nets at the moment are again as reliable championship contenders and Durant’s presence on the roster offers them an opportunity to win any recreation, any evening.
The questions have been answered. The drama has come to an finish. As coaching camp looms in late September, the Nets can now give attention to basketball, on making these items match, and on successful video games as a result of as gifted as this crew has been for every of the previous two seasons, they solely have one playoff collection victory to point out.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com