The Brooklyn Nets are a house of cards.
The possibility of losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this offseason seems to be growing, and may be an inevitability unless Brooklyn is willing to offer Irving a longterm contract, according to ESPN.
“The Nets are putting out there right now that they are prepared to lose both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant,” Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Monday. “They would rather lose both than go through what they went through last year which was a miserable season under the situation that Kyrie Irving contributed to creating.”
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are not willing to do that. Irving and Brooklyn are exploring trade options, which would first involve Irving opting out of his $36.5 million one-year player option before being moved in a sign-and-trade.
As of now, the Lakers are reportedly the only team interested in acquiring Irving via sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for Irving, “the Nets have no interest in taking back the available Lakers packages,” sources have told Woj.
If a sign-and-trade can’t be executed, Irving could only join the Lakers on the $6 million taxpayer mid-level exception.
Should Irving leave, there is a belief that Kevin Durant, who is under contract for four more years, would request a trade of his own. If he is traded, he would have no say in where he goes according to Woj.
That would seem like a nightmare scenario for the Nets just three years after acquiring both players, but their unwillingness to sign Irving to a longterm deal means it is absolutely on the table.