If you chose this season to jump on the Nets bandwagon, you were in for a wild ride.
Kevin Durant made a trade request before the season kicked off, and despite tribulation, Brooklyn worked things out with its star.
Steve Nash was fired as head coach during the first third of the season, and owner Joe Tsai reportedly had to be talked out of hiring suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. Jacque Vaughn was promoted to replace Nash.
Kyrie Irving then made headlines when he promoted an anti-Semitic film on his social media. The 30-year-old refused to apologize for his actions and failed to refute whether he shared the anti-Semitic views that the film espoused. The Nets soon suspended the All-Star guard, and Irving apologized and completed the necessary steps to return to the team. He recently deleted his apology that was posted on Instagram.
There reportedly was internal tension with Ben Simmons, but Brooklyn appeared to have put all the controversy behind it, for better or for worse. It was preparing to make a statement in the playoffs after its first-round sweep last season at the hands of the Celtics.
But Irving made headlines again by making a trade request last Friday. Multiple suitors inquired, and the Dallas Mavericks completed a trade that included Markieff Morris in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round draft pick and second-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029.
The Nets were not done as they reportedly traded Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren to the Suns in exchange for Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap on Thursday.
The reported deal moved Phoenix to the top of Western Conference contenders, but it also left Brooklyn at the start of a rebuild it likely did not intend for.
“This was in the works like after Year 1,” Irving told reporters after his Mavericks debut Wednesday, per Clutch Points’ Tomer Azarly. “I was unsure about whether I wanted to be in Brooklyn long-term again because of things that was happening behind the scenes.”
The Nets were in the top four of the Eastern Conference when Irving made his trade demand, and while it’s hard to imagine Brooklyn will be completely out of the playoff picture, it surely will drop out of contention of playing on its home court in the first round of the playoffs and will likely compete in the play-in tournament.
What seemed like a promising season turned into what can only be called a disaster for the Nets, and Irving’s trade request was a long time coming for a swift turnaround that took less than a week to happen.
