The Dagger: The regretful, yet fixable Brooklyn Nets

Quick question: Do you all remember the roster Brooklyn had BEFORE the James Harden trade? 

It, of course, featured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But their supporting cast…That supporting cast  is what made them special. 

They had Spencer Dinwiddie (who was great for Dallas this year), Jarret Allen (who became an All-Star for the first time this year with Cleveland), Landry Shamet (a big shot maker for championship contenders Phoenix Suns) and Caris LeVert (who averaged 17 points a game with Cleveland this year). 

WHAT?!?! 

You give up all THOSE guys for James Harden who is falling out his prime before our very eyes during this playoff run? 

At the time, January 2021, it seemed sensible. Harden was coming off of one his best seasons in 2019-20, averaging 34.3 points and 7.7 assists per game. 

Alas, though, look at where Brooklyn is now: Hardenless without that amazing supporting cast and sitting at home watching the playoffs. 

I was NEVER for the Harden trade and feel even stronger about my stance now.

Brooklyn made a mistake. They were a better defensive team and had at least four guys that could go get you 40 points on any given night. They also lost some killers for one guy who has shown throughout his career that he is just not. 

Do I think they would’ve gotten swept with that aforementioned roster? Absolutely not. They may have even won because I trust Dinwiddie and LeVert would’ve stepped up while Boston continued to hound KD and Kyrie. 

BUT that’s neither here nor there now. The real question  is what do they do now?

KD is locked in with the Nets at least until 2025, which means there needs to be some shakeup if he has any hopes of winning another championship. 

Kyrie wants to be locked in – or so he claimed after the Nets lost in Game 4 to the Boston Celtics. He is eligible for a five-year, $248 million contract with Brooklyn. 

If KD and Brooklyn know what’s good for them, they need to get rid of Kyrie. 

YES, he is an all-time talent. YES he is elite. YES he can drop 60 on your head at any moment. We acknowledge that. 

He is also selfish, unreliable and injury prone, which are terrible trade-offs for his talent. 

It’s not worth it. Find somebody better who, at least, will show up for his job and earn the MILLIONS of dollars owners are paying him. 

The top 2022 free agents I’d be eyeing are Bradley Beal, Rajon Rondo, Dewayne Dedmon, T.J Warren and Thomas Bryant. Use that money they’d give to Kyrie for two, maybe three of those guys. 

I would also offload Ben Simmons, who is Kyrie 2.0 in terms of the hemming and hawing he does off the court. 

Those guys are not committed to playing basketball. THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THEIR TEAM OR WINNING. 

It’s a personality issue. They’re both wildly talented and will be remembered as such when they retire. 

But they’re not the guys Brooklyn needs if they ever plan to make the franchise reputable and noteworthy.

Keep them and they’ll regret it every day they’re stuck with them. Book it.