Kevin Durant’s ultimatum puts Nets in a bind
Nobody feels sorry for the Brooklyn Nets.
Not for proprietor Joe Tsai. Not for common supervisor Sean Marks. Not for Nets coach Steve Nash.
When a staff abandons a promising rebuilding effort for a fast path to title competition constructed round mercurial superstars and the fallout is disastrous, the empathy meter doesn’t register.
Nets star Kevin Durant, who requested for a commerce earlier this low season, reportedly met not too long ago with Tsai in London and reiterated his want for a commerce, telling the proprietor that the franchise wants to select between him and Marks and Nash, in keeping with the Athletic.
On Monday, Tsai tweeted that Marks and Nash have his full help.
Star-chasing is a raffle. Generally the outcomes are wonderful, culminating with a championship or two.
Different instances, it’s a failure. Good day, Brooklyn.
The Nets acquired Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summertime of 2019 with hopes of competing for a title as soon as Durant returned in 2020-21 following an Achilles harm. Brooklyn ramped up these aspirations by buying and selling for James Harden in January 2021. The trio performed simply 16 video games collectively due to accidents and Irving’s determination to not get the COVID-19 vaccine, making him ineligible to play in many of the Nets’ house video games this previous season due to New York Metropolis’s vaccine mandate.
The Nets misplaced within the convention semifinals in 2021 and first spherical in 2022, and Harden is not with he staff — traded to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons on the deadline. Harden, too, wished out and earlier than free company started on June 30, Irving regarded for potential trades and his scenario — it doesn’t matter what anybody says — stays unresolved.
Phrase has circulated for weeks that Durant and Irving have been sad with Nash because the coach, and now Tsai is left with selections, together with one talked about in Durant’s ultimatum.
:format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/basketball/analysis/2022/08/05/kevin-durants-ultimatum-puts-nets-in-a-bind-but-empathy-for-brooklyn-is-in-short-supply/nash_durant.jpg)
- Fireplace Nash and Marks and rent anew with the prospect {that a} new GM and coach would fulfill Durant, an iffy proposition at greatest. There’s no assure Durant would need out after a season or two, and catering to stars hasn’t helped the Nets in any respect prior to now three seasons.
- Canning Marks and retaining Nash is an alternative choice if Durant is happy with Nash however sad with the rosters Marks has constructed. Durant has had reward for Nash, each initially of his teaching tenure in 2020 and on the finish of final season.
- Commerce Durant and hold Nash and Marks. No staff desires an sad participant, particularly as he enters the primary 12 months of a four-year extension value $194.2 million (U.S.). No matter what you consider Nash as a head coach, he’s by no means had a full roster or one deep and well-rounded sufficient to compete. Marks has been on job 6 1/2 years, and he had the rebuild headed in the best route with D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. However the franchise’s want so as to add stars derailed that rebuild, although it’s onerous to say it was incorrect on the time so as to add Durant, Irving and Harden.
- Commerce Durant and Irving and fireplace Nash and Marks and begin over again. The primary a part of that equation is tougher than the second, however discovering a brand new coach and workers at this level within the low season isn’t simple, both. Irving has only one season left on his contract, and whereas there aren’t many (any?) groups , the Nets might re-engage with the Los Angeles Lakers. Sending Durant elsewhere grew to become extra sophisticated when the Utah Jazz landed 5 first-round picks and three gamers for Rudy Gobert. The Nets need to do higher than that for Durant, and that provide doesn’t exist simply but.
Coaching camps open in lower than two months, and the Nets want a decision to this example or one other season might be derailed.
