Kevin Durant

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving said he believes the team "got better" following Kevin Durant's trade request during the offseason, which was ultimately rescinded in August.

Irving told Stadium's Shams Charania in an interview posted Wednesday that the situation helped the Nets identify the "principles that are needed for success," and it's led to a more tight-knit group, highlighted by a gathering put together by Kyrie last weekend:

Brooklyn's roster appeared on the verge of collapse after KD's request in late June. Along with his desire to find a new team, Irving was also featured prominently in the rumor mill, frequently linked to a possible reunion with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the end, it was a pretty quiet summer from the Nets front office, which replaced a few depth losses with the additions of T.J. Warren, Royce O'Neale and Markieff Morris.

The biggest change is the return of Ben Simmons, who's set to make his Brooklyn debut in Wednesday night's season-opening clash with the New Orleans Pelicans. He didn't play last season after being acquired in a February trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

From a purely talent perspective, the Nets have both the high-end star power in Durant, Irving and Simmons along with enough reliable depth contributors to emerge as a championship contender.

The question is whether things could take a turn for the worse if the team, which was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics last season, gets off to a sluggish start following a couple of drama-filled seasons and the tumultuous offseason.

For his part, Durant said the trade request allowed him to voice his concerns to the front office and he's hopeful it allowed the franchise to end up in a better place.

"I was upset," KD told reporters in September. "And as a family, they understood that I was upset; some of the stuff they agreed with. So we talked about it, and it was over a couple of months, a couple of weeks, toward the end of that where we talked about it. We came out and we voiced all our concerns about how we all can be better. And it just worked out from there, and I'm glad I'm here now."

So the Nets' superstar tandem are both sounding an optimistic tune heading into the new campaign, but the on-court performance will be the true indicator about whether the team has moved on from the offseason grievances.

Brooklyn opens with a tricky first five games against the Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks.

A handful of early-season contests isn't going to make or break the season, but it could provide an early glimpse at where the Nets stand relative to some fellow contenders.

Few people in the NBA understand what makes Russell Westbrook effective on the court better than Kevin Durant after they were teammates for eight seasons on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Brooklyn Nets star believes criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers point guard has gone too far.

Durant talked about a number of NBA topics during a discussion with Eddie Gonzalez for Boardroom, including the criticism Westbrook faces on the Lakers (12:15-15:30).

Videos of Westbrook not joining his team for a pregame huddle or during a brief meeting in a stoppage of play made the rounds on social media this preseason, but Durant pointed out that "Russ always did that … it felt like he was just getting his mind right."

"But if you're playing in L.A., if you're playing next to the biggest figure in sports in LeBron James, everything you do is going to be magnified," Durant continued. "Especially if the outside perception is that your team is going to struggle."

The future Hall of Famer used the discussion about Westbrook to make a larger point about NBA discourse.

"The dialogue around our game is just so toxic at this point," he said. "I get criticism, but it's starting to turn into something else right now."

Perhaps nobody in the league faced more criticism than Westbrook last season, as his first campaign with the Lakers went anything but according to plan. He struggled to adjust to playing alongside James as a ball-dominant playmaker and hit just 29.8 percent of his three-pointers.

At one point, the nine-time All-Star said the constant belittlement he received was bothering his family.

While Durant and Westbrook may not have always been the best of friends since their days as teammates ended, the former had the latter's back ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

Kevin Durant plays for the Brooklyn Nets, but he is familiar with the inner workings of the Golden State Warriors considering he suited up for three seasons alongside many members of the current core.

That makes it all the more notable he weighed in on Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during practice on Oct. 5.

"I know that group," Durant said, per ESPN's Nick Friedell . "That's a strong group, tight-knit group. And I just hate to see that be seen in the public, what's going on in practices and stuff. But hopefully they get that figured out and we can move forward."

He also pointed out Golden State has rallied around the saying "Strength in Numbers," and the collaboration of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and others should help the team move on as the 2022-23 season begins.

Perhaps some of that strength was already on display when both Curry and head coach Steve Kerr told reporters a report suggesting there was a buildup in frustration from some around the team with Poole's attitude ahead of a potential contract extension wasn't true at all.

Friedell noted an incident between Durant and Green during the 2018-19 campaign escalated to the point where it "carried over into the locker room and threatened to derail the team's camaraderie" even though it didn't become physical.

"That's not the same situation," Durant said. "Somebody got punched in the face. ... It's no comparison to that. It was just some words that being—I heard people say that that happens a lot in the NBA. I had never seen nothing like that before. But what me and Draymond did a few years back, that s--t happens all the time. So it's easy to get through something like that, but I don't know what this situation is like."

Green apologized for the incident and took some time away from the team in the aftermath.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported the expectation is that the Michigan State product will return for the Tuesday opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

As for Durant, he played for the Warriors from 2016-17 through 2018-19, and any potential lingering tension with Green didn't stop the team from building a modern-day dynasty. Golden State reached the NBA Finals all three seasons and won the championship twice in that span.

Perhaps it would have won all three titles had Durant not missed the majority of the 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors with an injury.

The Warriors are entering the new season as reigning champions after defeating the Boston Celtics in last season's Finals, and they surely hope to work through this issue as well to continue their run of success.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving believes that "anything's possible" for teammate Ben Simmons as he gets ready to make his on-court debut for the team.

"That level of talent, and IQ and motivation and drive—anything's possible," Irving told reporters, per ESPN's Nick Friedell. "He has that 'it' inside of him so now we just have to slowly develop him where he knows that he can just go out there and be himself. We want him to be his highest potential of himself as a player, be able to accomplish things out on the floor that he wasn't able to do the last few years. And just have some fun being at peace around him."

Simmons took time away from the game last year to focus on his mental health when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers. The three-time All-Star was eventually traded to the Nets on Feb. 10 in a deal that brought James Harden to Philadelphia. Simmons did not play for Brooklyn last year after suffering a herniated disk in his back.

During an appearance on former teammate and ESPN commentator JJ Redick's The Old Man and the Three podcast, Simmons said he didn't feel that he got enough help from members of the organization.

"I was in such a bad place where I was like, f--k, I'm trying to get here and you guys are, like, throwing all these other things at me to where you're not helping. And that's all I wanted, was help," Simmons said.

"I didn't feel like I got it from coaches, teammates—I won't say all teammates, because there's great guys on that team that did reach out and are still my friends—but I didn't feel like I got that, and it was just a tough place for me."

Thankfully, it appears Simmons is in a much better place with his mental and physical health. This Instagram post proved encouraging in June:

He's also clearly looking forward to his Nets debut.

"It's going to be sick," Simmons told Redick (h/t Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

"I can't wait. I’m so excited. Got a new number, new jersey. I'm just looking forward to it. I think we have a special team. I think if we get it all together, we're going to be the champions. That's the end goal."

This season starts on Oct. 19 for the Nets, who will take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Irving talked about the importance of having Simmons on the floor:

"Having a point guard 6-10, 6-11, I'm also a point guard, lead guard, whatever you want to call my position. It's good to get off the ball and have him get up and down the floor. It's going to take time obviously for health-wise, but we're patient, so just wait for him to look like he's in All-Star form again, which I know will happen soon."

Simmons will try to help turn around a Nets team that lost in the first round of the playoffs last year to the Boston Celtics.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash told reporters Tuesday that he didn't think the reports of Kevin Durant's summer ultimatum to team owner Joe Tsai were 100 percent accurate.

"I never thought that was 100 percent. It's not black and white like that. There's a lot of factors, a lot of things behind the scenes," Nash said, per James Herbert of CBS Sports.

He added that "a lot of things that are reported are not 100 percent accurate, so you get fragmented bits of truth, you get things that are flat-out not true."

After Durant requested a trade, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported on Aug. 8 that the veteran gave Tsai a clear ultimatum to either pick him or Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

The Nets finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record last season and were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in what was a disappointing result for the franchise.

Speaking for the first time since requesting a trade this summer, Durant expressed an issue with how the team failed to put up much of a fight while he was sidelined with an injury during the regular season:

"When I went out with the injury, we lost [11] in a row. And I'm like we shouldn't be losing some of these games that we lost, regardless of who's on the floor. So I was more so worried about how we're approaching every day as a basketball team. And I felt like we could have fought through a lot of stuff that I felt held us back. Championship teams do that. You've seen Steph Curry and the Warriors, he was injured going into the playoffs. Their team still fought and won games. Luka [Doncic], he was hurt and their team still fought and won games."

It's unclear if that contributed to his clash with Nash, but the head coach added Tuesday that he and Durant have worked out their issues.

"Ever since we talked, it's been like nothing's changed," he said. "I have a long history with Kevin. Love the guy. Families have issues. We had a moment and it's behind us. That's what happens. It's a common situation in the league."

Teams expressed interest and made offers for Durant this summer, though none of those offers were seen as desirable for the Nets, who didn't want to let the superstar leave for nothing.

Durant went on to rescind his trade request in late August, and he appears to be fully focused on bringing Brooklyn a title in 2022-23.

The Nets are expected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season with the returns of Durant and Kyrie Irving, who opted in to his player option for the 2022-23 campaign.

In addition, a fully healthy Ben Simmons and the signing of veteran Markieff Morris should help the Nets reach new heights this season.

The Nets open the season on Oct. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Even though Kevin Durant tried to get Steve Nash fired earlier this offseason, the Brooklyn Nets head coach has seemingly moved on.

"Families go through things like this," Nash told reporters Monday. "You go through adversity. You go through disagreements."

Durant reportedly held a meeting with Nets governor Joe Tsai in August, giving an ultimatum to either trade him or fire both Nash and general manager Sean Marks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Durant met with the team's management later that month and they decided to move forward together.

The 12-time All-Star told reporters Monday that it was the "uncertainty" that led to his trade requests.

"I'm getting older; I want to be in a place that's stable," he said. "Trying to build a championship culture, so I had some doubts about that."

The Nets have been far from stable over the past few years despite a loaded roster.

Despite entering last year with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, Brooklyn finished 44-38, good for just seventh in the Eastern Conference. The team was swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics.

The Nets have won just one playoff series since signing Irving and Durant in 2019, although Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from an Achilles injury.

Nash arrived in 2020, but he hasn't been able to get the most out of the roster in his first two seasons. It puts a lot of pressure on the coach heading into 2022-23, especially with Irving and Durant set to return after a wild offseason.

Kevin Durant spoke with reporters at the Brooklyn Nets' media day on Monday, offering insight into his trade request and his lack of surprise that he wasn't dealt.

"I committed to this organization for four years last summer, with the idea that we were going to play with that group that we kinda went on that little round to the second round with [in the 2020-21 postseason]. I felt like another year of that, us being healthy, we were building something toward the future. Then as the season went on—you saw what happened last season, guys in and out of the lineup, injuries, just a lot of uncertainty which built some doubt in my mind about the next four years of my career. I'm getting older, I want to be in a place that's stable. Trying to build a championship culture, so I had some doubts about that. And I voiced them to [team governor Joe Tsai]. And we moved forward from there."

Durant added that he liked the offseason moves the Nets and general manager Sean Marks made over the summer, and he feels as though the difficulties of last season may serve as motivation for this year's group.

"A year of us looking in the mirror, like, 'We f--ked up as a team,' and that only makes you better," he told reporters.

The Nets faced what felt like a decade's worth of adversity and controversy in the 2021-22 season.

Durant's running mate, Kyrie Irving, wasn't able to play in the large majority of the team's home games in Brooklyn due to New York City's vaccination rules for city employees, and he started the year away from the team altogether. James Harden grew unhappy and forced a trade, eventually moving to the Philadelphia 76ers. The centerpiece of Brooklyn's return for Harden, Ben Simmons, never played for the team because of a back injury. Durant's injury issues limited him to just 55 games.

The result was a berth in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, where the Nets advanced and faced the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. They were immediately swept—an embarrassing outcome for a team with Brooklyn's collection of talent.

That led to a summer of uncertainty. Irving was on the trade block before opting in to his player option. Durant made his own trade request. Just three summers after joining forces, it appeared as though the duo may be breaking apart.

Instead, they'll give it at least one more go, with Irving's looming free agency next summer still hanging over the season. There is little doubt that the Nets are loaded with talent.

The question is whether they can avoid the level of drama that engulfed the 2021-22 season.

Ben Simmons is excited about what he can accomplish alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets as he prepares to return to the court after sitting out the entire 2021-22 season.

The three-time NBA All-Star discussed his outlook with the Nets, who acquired him in a February trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, during an appearance on The Old Man and The Three podcast (around 44-minute mark).

"I think this team right now is just a great fit for what I do and what I bring to the game," Simmons said. "I feel like it's Philly on steroids kind of in terms of what we have. ... It's exciting knowing I'm going to play with those guys and knowing their games—I don't have to f--king guard Kyrie and Kevin."

Simmons skipped the start of last season with the Sixers to focus on his mental health. He was expected to return following his trade to the Nets, but he suffered a back injury that required surgery in May.

He posted a picture in late June with the caption: "Feeling incredible."

While Simmons recovered, Brooklyn navigated a drama-filled summer. Durant requested a trade and Irving also became the focus of trade rumors, mostly linking him to a potential reunion with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.

KD rescinded his request after the Nets didn't receive the type of offers they wanted for the 12-time All-Star, and the Kyrie speculation faded away once it became clear the team wasn't heading toward a full-scale rebuild.

Questions remain about whether the roster can come together to maximize its potential, but from a pure talent perspective, Brooklyn can challenge any team in the NBA.

Durant, Irving and Simmons are joined by Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Cam Thomas, Royce O'Neale, T.J. Warren, Nic Claxton, Day'Ron Sharpe and Markieff Morris.

It's a group that features both the high-end star power and the necessary depth to seriously contend for a championship.

Whether that'll actually come to fruition depends heavily on whether chemistry can be built, both on the floor and in the locker room.

It's a great sign for Brooklyn that Simmons, whose ability to reestablish himself as one of the league's top distributors and defenders will be crucial to the club's success, is sounding an optimistic tune.

The Nets tip off the regular season Oct. 19 when they host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Barclays Center.