Imagine an already playoff team adding a 6-time All-Star and NBA champion point guard as well as a 10-time All-Star, 4-time NBA scoring champion, and 2-time NBA Finals MVP. This is exactly who the Brooklyn Nets have returning from injury this upcoming season between Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving— making them a legit contender to win the 2021 NBA Finals.
Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are back for the Brooklyn Nets this season and they are ready to put the league on notice from the opening tip. Irving only played in 20 games a season ago after dealing with numerous injuries and Kevin Durant will step back out on the court in a Nets jersey for the first time in his career after suffering a ruptured Achilles in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
The new era in Brooklyn has started and Kyrie and KD are not the only names on the Nets this season. The sharpshooting Joe Harris is also back for the Nets as he agreed to terms on a four-year, $75M deal to stay with Brooklyn long-term. Tyler Johnson and Jeff Green also agreed to one-year deals with the Nets as they added some veteran talent around their star-studded core.
The most intriguing thing about the Brooklyn Nets this upcoming season is that they have talent up and down this roster. At every single position they can go two to sometimes three guys deep and have plenty of regular season experience and championship experience on their roster.
Last season was when Brooklyn made their presence felt, signing Durant, Irving and DeAndre Jordan, but this offseason, Brooklyn did not look to make any significant moves. The biggest thing for the Nets was getting everyone back healthy and stronger before as they had about 6-7 players opt out of the NBA Bubble due to injuries.
Now, the Nets are ready to pursue the championships they know they can contend for and with one of the best rosters on paper in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets should be one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2021 NBA Finals. So how did this offseason play a role in Brooklyn’s future success?