Durant left for Phoenix and Brooklyn began rebuilding… again

If Irving’s departure is the beginning of the end, KD’s move to the Suns is the final push for some Nets who, like Garnett and Pierce, will return to zero in the NBA.

• Durant shook up the NBA market with his move

The end of an era… again. This is how the news became Kevin Durant traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Sunsabout the end of the transfer window nba. A few days ago, from Brooklyn they confirmed the news of the departure of Kyrie Irvingwho will continue his career in Dallas Mavericks. With KD following in his footsteps, Brooklyn breathes similar to the days when they threatened to create a dynasty at the hands of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but they starred in more shadows than lights..

Garnett, Pierce and the Nets’ first attempt to crack the NBA

The nba It is usually cyclical. Because of this, not a few, when they learned the news of Durant’s departure, remembered what the stage of kevin garnett and Paul Pierce on the Nets. The year was 2013 and a renewed franchise in Brooklyn was looking to make a splash and boy did it: agreed with Boston to trade its two superstars Garnett and Pierce along with the addition of point guard Jason Terry. In return, Brooklyn gave Gerald Wallace -whose contract is considered one of the worst in the league due to high costs and low benefits-, Kris Humphries -more famous for his relationship with the Kardashian family than his talent on the floor- Tornike Shengelia, Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans and three unprotected first-round picks for 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Boston wants the leader of Danny Ainge, Celtics GM, after that trade. Two superstars and a key part of Doc Rivers’ team for a few throwaway players? Everything seems to indicate that the Nets will be one of the best in the league, while Boston will suffer to see them climb the ranks and celebrate championships.

Nothing happened. And not only did it happen, but brooklyn self destructed. The Nets never won a title with Garnett and Pierce, who left everything on the field in every game, but could do little to lead that team to the championship. Additionally, unprotected picks are pure gold for Boston: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart were selected as a result of that trade and are important for the Celtics right now.

In 2015, Garnett was traded to Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015, his debut team and where he finally retired. Paul Piercefor his part, left for the Washington Wizards in 2014will have a short stay at Los Angeles Clippers and then finally retire as a Celtic in 2017 with a symbolic one-day contract.

Durant, Irving, Harden and a “marriage of convenience” that caused many headaches

In 2019, six years after the Boston bombing move, the Nets sought another NBA coup. In July of that year, Kevin Durant announced that he is leaving the Golden State Warriors, the team where he won his two NBA rings, to play in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving, who left the Boston Celtics.. Unlike the transfer of Garnett and Pierce, Durant and Irving arrived in Brooklyn in the prime of their careers and mature enough to lead the franchise to a title..

however, Durant did not play the entire season due to injurywhile Irving missed its final stretch because of a problem with one of his shoulders that required surgery. The pandemic has also complicated all the teams and prevented the Nets from showing their best version. Because of this, for the next season in Brooklyn they looked for another coup de effect and they decided to add James Harden to the team in January 2021. So, the Nets had theirs big three and they threatened to win it all…

But it’s not like that either. He big three that scared the league he barely shared the field in 16 games. Harden’s experiment – forced out of Houston Rockets and he’s clearly out of shape. started well averaging 24.1 points, 12 assists and 8.2 rebounds in his first nine games, but was cut short after a series of injuries affected both Harden and Durant.

Irving, on the other hand, He started making news because of his reluctance to get vaccinated against Covid-19 -something that sidelined him from some games due to the rules implemented in the United States- rather than his talent. Those problems began to create a rift between him and Harden. Meanwhile, Durant suffered injuries that sidelined him for games. So, on February 2, 2022, Harden played his last game with the Nets before leaving for the Philadelphia Sixers.

Now Harden is gone, Irving returned to the center of the scene when, as a result of the publication of a video on his networks with anti-Semitic content, he was sanctioned by the franchise for refusing to declare “unequivocally that he is not anti-Semitic. belief.”. The suspension lasted five games, Irving returned to play but the relationship broke down. So, at the beginning of February, He asked to be transferred and ended up with the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant, for his part, flirted with leaving in June 2022. At that time, he asked to be transferred and marked Phoenix and Miami as preferred destinations. However, Toronto and Boston were the two that remained in the race. Finally, it all came crashing down after a meeting with Brooklyn’s management caused Durant to change his mind. In any case, this change of position did little good because, finally, was traded to the Phoenix Suns marking the end of an era in Brooklyn… again.