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Coming into play Thursday, Kevin Durant ranks ninth in minutes per recreation.
He’s on tempo to play extra complete minutes than he has in any season since 2015-16.
Durant, in fact, is without doubt one of the finest gamers on this planet. However given his age (33) and surgically-repaired proper Achilles, the Nets would like to play him fewer minutes.
“It’s not superb to have him have such a burden, however I don’t know what choices we now have apart from to play him much less and lose extra,” Nets coach Steve Nash mentioned Tuesday. “He’s a terrific participant, and we’re down a terrific participant (Kyrie Irving) and a very good participant (Joe Harris) and some others (Nic Claxton — sick). So I don’t know if we now have the luxurious proper now. Hopefully, the season provides us alternatives.”
Thus far, Durant and the Nets have made one of the best of their alternatives.
They’ve received 11 of their final 14 amid accidents and Irving’s absence.
Positive, Brooklyn hasn’t been nice in opposition to a few of the league’s high groups.
Nevertheless it’s nonetheless early within the season; James Harden seems to be discovering his rhythm and the Nets can nonetheless tinker with their roster.
To that finish, it’s value noting that, as of late final month, Brooklyn remained open to speaking trades involving Irving, per SNY sources. ESPN reported in late October that the Nets had been taking calls on potential Irving trades, however not making them. Within the weeks following that report, a number of groups mentioned Brooklyn has continued to take that strategy with the All-Star guard.
The Nets determined earlier within the season that Irving wouldn’t be with the workforce till he will get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Irving is at present unvaccinated, which violates a New York Metropolis mayoral mandate and prevents him from taking part in in residence video games on the Barclays Middle.
Irving is allowed to follow on the Nets facility and play in street video games. Brooklyn proprietor Joe Tsai and GM Sean Marks determined earlier within the season that they didn’t need Irving to be a part-time participant and have said that Irving could be welcome again if he’s cleared to play underneath New York Metropolis’s native mandate.
It’s unclear if Irving has thought of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The Nets have mentioned publicly that they’d welcome Irving again with open arms if he’s eligible to return.
Although, as you’d think about, there’s a measurable quantity of frustration with Irving amongst folks within the group. So I don’t suppose Irving’s return could be as seamless and stress-free because it’s been introduced.
If the Nets commerce Irving, they don’t have to fret concerning the ramifications of Irving’s return to the workforce.
The commerce marketplace for Irving, who can choose out of his contract after this season, is unknown. However the Nets wouldn’t be dealing from a place of energy in any Irving transaction.
A much bigger-picture query for the Nets: what’s Harden’s future with the workforce?
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that the Sixers have Harden on their want checklist of gamers their concentrating on in a Ben Simmons commerce.
Even earlier than these reviews, Nets individuals who would wish to pay attention to Harden’s future had been nicely conscious that Philadelphia loomed as a possible suitor for the guard, SNY sources say.
The Sixers and workforce president Daryl Morey tried to commerce for Harden final season earlier than the Nets landed him. Philadelphia was keen to incorporate Simmons within the commerce, which is without doubt one of the many components in Simmons’ falling out with the group.
It appears unlikely that the Nets would entertain buying and selling Harden in-season. Harden has mentioned publicly that he loves Brooklyn. He declined to signal an extension previous to the season but it surely was seen as a choice pushed by funds. Harden might make considerably extra money if he re-signed with the Nets as a free agent this summer season.
But when issues go sideways in Brooklyn and Harden decides to check the market, Morey and the Sixers will nearly definitely have curiosity.
At that time, Simmons-for-Harden sign-and-trade wouldn’t appear so far-fetched.
However these off-court points appear distant in the mean time. Proper now, the Nets try to win video games, construct chemistry and put together for an extended playoff run.
And Durant has no downside shouldering heavy minutes to get them there.
“I’m a basketball participant. I take pleasure in to play. I wanna play for 48 minutes. That’s simply what it’s,” he mentioned after Tuesday’s win over the Knicks. “…. I wish to play, and if I can persuade coach to play me the entire second half generally and put me in earlier in quarters, I’m gonna do it.
“It don’t matter. My basketball life is just not that lengthy, so I’m gonna get probably the most out of it.”
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