Who Should the Nets Pursue to Pair With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving?
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks pulled off the coup of a lifetime on June 30, 2019, snagging Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency to complete a truly astounding rebuild. The Nets didn’t cross 30 wins in three straight seasons from 2015–16 to 2017–18, and they were little more than a nice story last season before a first-round exit against the 76ers. Two months later they snagged two of the game’s top stars, burying the Knicks in the process. Brooklyn rose from the ashes of Billy King’s mistake to potentially form the next Eastern Conference power.
2019–20 didn’t go according to plan. Irving battled a slate of injuries before a shoulder surgery ended his season, and Kenny Atkinson was fired on March 7 amid discord in the locker room. Winning will be a cure-all, and Durant can quickly rectify the situation if he’s back to his old self in 2020–21. But adding two superstars has not been some magical panacea.
The Durant-Irving combo is likely enough to snag a top-four playoff seed in the beleaguered East, though the Larry O’Brien Trophy may still be out of reach. For Brooklyn to contend for the title, another star may have to come aboard. So who could Marks and the Nets pursue before 2020–21? We at The Crossover examined some potential candidates.
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Bradley Beal
The Beal-to-Brooklyn rumor received a jolt on May 21, but the idea has been percolating ever since Durant and Irving bolted to Brooklyn in the summer of 2019. In the age of dynamic duos, the Nets are well positioned to acquire a third star, and Beal is one of the few All-Stars who could presumably be poached on the open market. How would Beal fit in Brooklyn? His skill set suggests a seamless transition.
Beal previously thrived as an off-ball running mate with John Wall, which would come in handy in Brooklyn. The Florida product is shooting 38% on catch-and-shoot triples in 2019–20, and the number sat at 43% alongside Wall in 2017–18. But Beal has emerged as far more than a threat from beyond the arc in recent seasons. He’s now a bona fide lead option on a Washington team devoid of talent, averaging 30.5 points per game—trailing only James Harden—while sporting a career-high 34.4% usage rate. Brooklyn’s next head coach would be smart to deploy Beal as a lead ballhandler when Irving heads to the bench, leaving an All-Star guard on the floor alongside Durant at all times. It’s hard to find a better fit to complete Brooklyn’s Big 3.
Could Marks actually pull off a deal for Beal? His contract doesn’t expire until after the 2021–22 season, complicating matters after Beal signed a two-year extension with Washington in October 2019. But as we’ve seen in previous seasons, Beal could have leverage if he wishes to force his way out of Washington. And Brooklyn should have the assets to potentially complete a deal. Caris LeVert could serve as the centerpiece of a trade and slide right into the starting two-guard role. Jarrett Allen is an upgrade over Thomas Bryant, and he would be one half of an intriguing frontcourt combo alongside Rui Hachimura. If Davis Bertans walks in free agency, Washington could easily match any restricted offer sheet that comes Allen’s way after 2021–22. Add in a couple of first-round picks, and a workable deal is in place. The Wizards continue to insist that they’ll give the Beal-Wall duo another shot. But if their stubbornness proves foolish, the market for Beal could quickly heat up.
Ben Simmons
Beal is clearly an easy fit alongside Durant and Irving. As for Ben Simmons, not so much. This doesn’t have much to do with Brookyln’s current duo, but rather Simmons himself, whose game has proved completely inflexible over the last three seasons. But at some point, talent trumps all. Simmons is a complete game wrecker in transition, and he’s a legitimate All-Defense talent when engaged. The wingspan of Durant and Simmons alone would be a nightmare to deal with, and Brooklyn could squeeze the most out of Simmons by severely staggering him and Irving. Simmons has drawn plenty of flack over the last two seasons, and rightly so. But when he’s at his best, he’s a legitimate top-20 player.
The NBA’s coronavirus suspension may put a damper on the Simmons trade rumors. Even if Philadelphia has an early exit in the 2020 postseason, management is likely to give its All-Star duo another season to work things out. There’s too much talent at play to punt on the Simmons–Joel Embiid duo, even despite the frustrating lack of progress in 2019–20. A Simmons trade is more likely to occur before the 2020–21 trade deadline than during the offseason.
Brooklyn’s pathway to a deal is more complicated with Simmons than Beal. Philadelphia (of course) already has an impact center. LeVert would once again need to be included in a trade. Perhaps Spencer Dinwiddie could be added to the deal, though his contract expires after 2020–21. The most logical route is a three-way deal, where Brooklyn can acquire assets for Jarrett Allen that it can then flip to Philly. The Sixers shouldn’t quit on the Simmons-Embiid partnership if they can help it. Though if Simmons becomes available, expect Brooklyn to be in hot pursuit.
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Aaron Gordon
We’re now past the superstar level of the trade market, but Aaron Gordon would certainly be an asset to Brooklyn’s title hopes. He’d be an impact rim-runner alongside Irving, and he’s shown a semblance of stretch beyond the three-point arc in recent seasons. Gordon’s contract is an additional asset, with three years remaining on a rare declining yearly salary. While some lengthy contracts could cripple teams given the NBA’s presumed new financial landscape, Brooklyn could get Gordon as a relative bargain.
It’s likely Orlando could have received a better deal for Gordon had they dealt him last offseason or even before February’s trade deadline. The Arizona product was in the midst of a rough season before the league’s coronavirus suspension, seeing his scoring dip to 14.4 points per game on a career-worst 43.3% from the field. With a crowded frontcourt that includes Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Isaac and Al-Farouq Aminu—as well as young centers Khem Birch and Mo Bamba—Gordon appears expendable. As Markelle Fultz’ future as a starting point guard is still in question, perhaps dangling Dinwiddie and a pick could get a deal done.
Zach LaVine
Let’s start with the obvious: An Irving-LaVine backcourt would be a defensive disaster, one that could turn even Ryan Saunders’s hair gray within a single season. Irving is undersized and slim, while LaVine is, well, less than engaged on most nights. The rest of Brooklyn’s roster isn’t exactly flush with plus defenders, and given DeAndre Jordan’s age, there’s no true eraser for a bad perimeter defense. Acquiring LaVine would quickly raise some eyebrows around the Barclays Center.
But despite the defensive deficiencies, there’s little denying LaVine’s scoring prowess. The 25-year-old is averaging 25.5 points per game this season on solid efficiency–45% from the field, 38% from three–and he’s blended well as an off-ball asset alongside Coby White. LaVine is a quality cutter and a true threat in transition. He’s continuing to evolve into a team player after showing off a bit of a selfish streak in previous seasons, though his turnover rate remains frustrating. LaVine provides an above-the-rim presence the Nets could certainly use, and at just under $20 million for each of the next three seasons, he comes with an affordable price tag.
Chicago could eye LeVert in a trade, and despite just one year left on his deal, Joe Harris would be a welcome shooter next to White and Chicago’s young core. Perhaps even Jarrett Allen could be dangled if the Bulls want a true center alongside Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. LaVine isn’t a perfect fit with Brooklyn, and to be honest, he’s not really a perfect fit anywhere. But for the right price, the Nets should at least explore the idea.
