In a turn of events, the Brooklyn Nets may stop pursuing the signing of Kyrie Irving if he can’t bring Kevin Durant along with him.
Fans were not expecting this, especially after seeing reports that the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving were close to a done deal.
Per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets may stop pursuing Kyrie Irving in free agency if he can’t bring along Kevin Durant as well. The Nets seem to have a huge need for the package deal with the two superstars. And if Durant is out, the Nets could be out on Irving.
“The Post has confirmed Brooklyn might have qualms about signing the enigmatic Irving if he isn’t bringing the injured Durant with him,” Lewis wrote.
“Other teams had already backed off of pursuing Irving with similar concerns over the way things went awry in Boston. If the Nets do the same, it would mean keeping [D’Angelo] Russell, who is a younger and cheaper option as a restricted free agent.”
When you look at how it ended with Irving and the Cavaliers, and then during his time in Boston, it’s not a given that the Nets will be content with making him their top dog.
If the Nets were to pass on signing Irving, they’d most likely stick with Russell. And, to be honest, that’s not a bad option at all. Russell was an All-Star this past year and one of the biggest reasons the Nets clinched a playoff berth.
Russell is also only 23 years old and will sign a cheaper contract than Irving. Not to mention, Russell is happy to be a Net. All-in-all, he wants to be a part of the franchise’s future. The young guard told Lewis that he wishes to be a “Net for life.”
