Kevin Durant has decided to rescind his trade request to stay with the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn now still has Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and Kevin Durant from last year. Three All Stars arguably still in their prime. Should this team be considered NBA championship contenders in 2023 with this core still intact? We make the case why they should below:
New Talent
Brooklyn was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last year by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions with Durant and Irving in the lineup. Now Brooklyn will have Ben Simmons and Joe Harris finally playing for them this year as well as some other pickups. Those include TJ Warren, who was a 20 point per game scorer just two seasons ago and they traded for Royce O’Neal as well.
Top Talent
Kevin Durant could still be argued as the best player in the NBA next year. He averaged 29.9 points per game last year and a career high 6.4 assists. Kyrie is far from done after being limited last year due to his vaccine status that limited him to just 29 games. He scored a career high 27.4 points per game in those 29 games.
East is Less Tough than the West
The Eastern Conference is far from easy, but it is easier than the West where you have the Warriors and the Lakers to get through next season. This could make it easier for them to get to the finals and compete in one seven-game series for a championship.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_State_Warriors_Small_Forward_Kevin_Durant.jpg
