2022 NBA Free Agency has taken on a strange twist; as we see Kyrie Irving opt in to his contract with the Nets and then later we see Kevin Durant wanted to be traded afterwards. Could you blame him? Remember a few years back when this was brewing with both Irving and Durant wanting to play together. This was thought to be a beatable combination. Let’s see; Durant had that injury, and Kyrie pretty much had to carry the team in the 2019-2020 season. Kevin comes back late in the 2020-2021 season and plays 35 games and was a “foot away” from advancing to the ECF, but ended up loosing to the Bucks who would eventually become the NBA champs for that year. Then we have the Nets getting a solid start in the 2021 season only to loose Durant for a stretch of games due to injuries and then Harden who they picked up in the prior year started to “nut up”, and then requesting a trade for the 2nd time in two years, (the 1st time from Houston to the Nets). The pandemic is still lingering with companies, municipalities requiring, sports teams etc., “shot mandates for the virus”. The last two years being pandemic withdrawals.
One would not have to wonder to hard, as to why it came down to Durant wanting to leave. His window of opportunity is closing to get another chip on his belt, and depending on Kyrie to be there is just not going to happen. Kyrie couldn’t even play home games until they lifted the mandates for his municipality which was late March. So these two guys playing together really didn’t happen enough to be successful. Harden, although out of shape during the last two year, may had seen the handwriting on the wall, and wanted again to change his teams, as his window of opportunity is closing also. I often wondered if Kyrie was aware of the Durant move prior to him opting in? What do you think?
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2022 NBA Free Agency this year saw some strange movements; like the Utah Jazz giving up Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a bunch of small asset contracts, such as; Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, this year’s No. 22 overall pick Walker Kessler and a mountain of draft picks. I guess Danny Ainge figured this is the time to do it especially getting bounced out of the playoffs the last few years early, especially when they had the best record a couple of years ago. Snyder the coach steps down, and they bring in a young coach such as the likes of Will Hardy a Greg Popovich’s coaching tree descendant. What will Utah look like when this is all said and done?
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