Brooklyn Nets' Trades Involving Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Re-Evaluated
How do the former Brooklyn Nets trades with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns fare after time has passed?
Kade Kimble | 9 Hours Ago
Dec 12, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) celebrates with Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets might finally be in rebuild mode, but the franchise reset was a long time coming.
The reason the Nets are even here is because in 2019 they signed both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant out of free agency to open a championship window that never would pan out. The two superstars teamed up in Brooklyn with hopes of raising a banner, though the era ended with both players requesting trades and finding new homes.
Both trades were re-graded by Bleacher Reports' most recent re-evaluation of the biggest trades in the past half-decade. The Nets' trades involving both Irving and Durant were both re-evaluated with a letter grade.
The two trades helped set up the Nets' current rebuild, but how did Bleacher Report grade the trades after time has passed? The first of the two that were graded was the trade that sent Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
The Durant trade, for the Nets, received an "A++++" according to Bleacher Report, as their haul is ultimately what helped Brooklyn net so much draft capital to set them up for the future.
"Brooklyn's superteam setup had entirely unraveled by the time it negotiated the Durant trade. Getting so much for an unhappy 34-year-old who preferred a relocation to one team was always a big deal," Bleacher Report wrote. "The Nets have since turned it into a larger victory."
Mikal Bridges heading to Brooklyn was the prize of the deal outside of Durant, but the Nets have since re-routed the forward to the New York Knicks to sweeten the pot of draft picks.
"All told, the Nets basically turned KD and two swaps into seven extra first-round picks, the return of the rights to a pair of their own firsts, another two swaps and Cam Johnson," Bleacher Report continued. "…Teardowns are often overromanticized, but Brooklyn had no other choice. It made the most, and then some, of a situation that could have torpedoed both its present and future."
Moving Durant turned into a lateral of moves which helped the Nets position themselves well to return back to contention eventually, but the Irving trade wasn't as highly regarded. Bleacher Report gave the Nets a "B" for their package returned for Irving, who was sent to the Dallas Mavericks.
While the Irving trade didn't pan out as well, it will end up not hurting too much as Brooklyn is now well-positioned to accumulate young talent.
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