In NBA free agency, things change by the hour, if not the minute. But as of Sunday night, the feeling from both the Nets and the league is that Kyrie Irving is bound for Brooklyn.
If the Nets do manage to bring the New Jersey product back home, then the question is: Who do they pair him with? Holdover All-Star D’Angelo Russell? Tobias Harris? Or would they forego free agency and use their cap space in a trade for somebody like Clint Capela?
The Post has reported on mutual interest between the Nets and Irving, who reportedly met with Kevin Durant last week in New York to try to recruit him. Now it’s sounding like the Nets’ players are assuming Irving will be walking through the door — and Russell could be walking out.
“We have space for two max deals, so they will definitely add some star power and for sure will make the team bigger and better,” Rodions Kurucs told The Post last week from Latvia, before doubling down by telling Latvian TV-Net that Brooklyn had to get rid of “a couple” of players to pursue Irving, and will be “changed completely” next season.
Nets Daily reported several players are operating under the expectation that if Irving is on the roster next year — if not a fait accompli, certainly a likelihood — Russell probably won’t be.
The Nets would have $68 million in cap space if they renounce Russell, who is a restricted free agent. They have enough to ink Irving and still offer a max deal to Jimmy Butler, Harris or restricted free agent Kristaps Porzingis, and could create enough space to sign Durant, despite the likelihood he will get $38 million in what amounts to a redshirt season next year.
But how could general manager Sean Marks pivot if he doesn’t land any of those forwards? Maintaining flexibility is a familiar mantra, and he could use cap space in the trade market, like he did to start this rebuild.
After Houston’s Western Conference finals loss to Golden State, the Rockets essentially put up a for sale sign on their roster. And Basketball Insider reported the Nets were the second-most aggressive team — behind only asset-rich Boston — in pursuing Capela.
Capela, who has four years left on his team-friendly five-year, $90 million deal, is the player most held up as the target for Jarrett Allen’s development. The 25-year-old might not be Durant, or Kawhi Leonard, but in the top 10 in win shares despite this season’s injury, he would make a stellar building block to pair with Irving if he could be had.