Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's on-court partnership is surely over. As their star-crossed tenure with the Brooklyn Nets comes to a close, it seems like there was never a real possibility of Durant and Irving returning to the team next season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that despite Irving picking up his player option on Monday, neither he nor Durant had any subsequent contact with the Nets front office, steeling general manager Sean Marks and company for the likelihood that Durant would request a trade.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had no contact with the franchise after Irving opted into his deal on Monday, and a sense of inevitability existed that Durant would eventually ask for a trade, sources tell ESPN. It happened today.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
Every expectation in wake of Irving's decision to exercise his player option was that both he and Durant would be back with Brooklyn for at least the start of the 2022-23 season, and perhaps much longer. It's only a matter of time until both players are on the move now, though, marking a final end for one of the most highly anticipated and ultimately failed super-teams in NBA history.
The Nets reportedly plan to completely overhaul their roster as a result of Thursday's shocking news, with the possible exception of retaining Ben Simmons. The three-time All-Star, of course, has yet to suit up for Brooklyn after being acquired in exchange for James Harden at last season's trade deadline, the first major domino to fall.
Durant and Irving had plans for a dynasty when they went to Brooklyn three years ago, and Harden's acquisition six months later made the Nets seem like an unstoppable juggernaut. Brooklyn's Big Three flashed that form during their exceedingly rare time on the court together, but were undone by Irving's unpredictability and Harden's resulting frustration.
All the Nets have to show for their super-team is one first-round playoff victory and the knowledge they were mere inches away from beating the eventual-champion Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, as Durant's toes brushed the three-point line on his game-tying jumper with one second remaining in regulation.
Would've, could've, should've.
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