Rumors are swirling that the Brooklyn Nets will eventually trade Kevin Durant after Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Brooklyn got Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and future draft picks for the mercurial point guard.
Some basketball fans felt Brooklyn missed a great opportunity to rack up first-round picks while also getting Russell Westbrook in the deal. However, Nick Wright had this to say about why Nets GM Sean Marks decided to take Dallas’ offer:
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“Dorian Finney-Smith adds defense and three-point shooting. Dinwiddie gives you 65% of Kyrie’s offensive production and they got the pick. The Lakers were offering you Russ and future picks.”
added:
The Lakers’ package would be better if they also traded Durant. But since they’re going to try to placate Durant and compete, this is the best package.”
Kevin Durant left Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder in the summer of 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors. He later revealed that he wanted to move because he was the only player who could consistently hit jump shots.
Westbrook’s jump shot has only gotten worse in his past two seasons with the LA Lakers. The name “Westbrick” hasn’t been entirely inaccurate, particularly this past season. The Nets don’t want to spill that on KD if they want to challenge for the championship.
Also, having Westbrook and Ben Simmons at the same time is going to be something Kevin Durant doesn’t want to be a part of. The former is very confident, which often leads to missing shots, while the latter barely tries to look at the basket.
Also, Joe Tsai reportedly never intended for Kyrie Irving to land with the LA Lakers. The billionaire owner of the Nets didn’t want to see a happy ending for the player who has caused the franchise too much heartache.
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets may have found the perfect Kyrie Irving replacement in Cam Thomas
Cam Thomas has barely seen any action behind Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry and Patty Mills in the lineup. Since Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the second-year guard has averaged 45.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He’s also shooting a ridiculous 71.8% from behind the arc.
In a win against the Washington Wizards on February 4, Thomas came off the bench to explode with 44 points in just 29 minutes. It was the main reason the Nets rallied from a 23-point deficit to a 125-123 victory.
Two nights later, in his first start of the season, he scored 47 points over the LA Clippers but was unable to lead the Nets to victory. Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets bench couldn’t contain his enthusiasm and excitement for the former LSU superstar in their last two games.
Without Irving, Cam Thomas could have carved out a place for himself with the way he’s been playing. Kevin Durant now has two new set pieces to work with, while Thomas’ explosive appearance is a welcome sight. The Nets may turn out to be the big winners in this trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
You may also be interested in reading: BREAKING: Kevin Durant trade to Phoenix Suns possible pending 13x All-Star availability, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports
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