Nets Prepared to Lose Both Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant: Report

Report: Nets prepared to lose both Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Brooklyn Nets appear to be on the verge of a total implosion.

Just a few months after having a roster featuring a superstar trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Nets are facing the real possibility of losing all three.

Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in February. Kyrie Irving has reportedly been granted permission to seek a sign-and-trade. Kevin Durant’s future in Brooklyn also is uncertain, especially if Irving departs. Rival teams reportedly are hoping Irving leaves the Nets to increase the chances of Durant being available via trade.

What’s the latest on the drama with the Nets?

“The Nets are putting out there right now that they are prepared to lose both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant,” Brian Windhorst said Monday on ESPN. “They would rather lose them both than go through what they went through last season, which was a miserable season under the situation that Kyrie Irving contributed to creating.”

Durant, in particular, likely would fetch a massive haul on the trade market. He’s signed for four more years, and even though he’s 34 years old, he looked like the best player in the world most nights last season. Acquiring him would make just about any playoff-caliber team a real title contender.

Losing both Irving and Durant this offseason would be a huge blow to the Nets’ short-term hopes of competing for a championship. That said, trading both of them would allow Brooklyn to stockpile assets to quickly rebuild its roster into a legit contender again.