Kevin Durant Says He Thinks Nets Can Push Forward with Kyrie Irving amid Suspension

Kevin Durant said he believes there's still a path to success for the Brooklyn Nets despite the uncertainty caused by the indefinite suspension given to Kyrie Irving for his promotion of an antisemitic film on social media.

KD discussed the state of the Nets during an interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears on Tuesday night.

"Yeah. I can't think s--t ain't working out just because we've been through some adversity, some bumps on the road," Durant said. "We just keep fighting until we can't no more. That's how I look at it. It's exciting to come in every day to work to get better as a team and as an individual. For me, being a leader, it's good to see the development of the younger guys in the league. Each game is important for us. There's a spotlight on us because of the timing we've got. There is a lot to do, is we've just got to step up and play a different role, so I'm excited about that. Everything basketball I enjoy. It seems like regardless of what is being thrown at us [I enjoy] trying to exercise, trying to figure it out and get past it."

Brooklyn has been one of the league's most disappointing teams during the early stages of the 2022-23 season with a 6-9 record. It appeared the star-studded group was starting to turn a corner in early November with four wins in five games, but back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings have dampened that optimism.

The Nets have been surrounded by endless drama since the arrival of Durant and Irving in the summer of 2019. This offseason, that led to questions about whether the front office would reconstruct the roster.

Durant requested a trade, a move that would have jump-started a rebuilding process, but he later rescinded it when teams couldn't meet Brooklyn's asking price. Irving was also the focus of trade rumors that never came to fruition.

So, the Nets entered the campaign with the same core as last year, and the results have been underwhelming.

In addition to Irving's suspension, Ben Simmons has missed five games because of lingering injury issues, leaving KD as the sole member of the Big Three who has played every contest.

Durant told Spears he's hopeful Irving can rejoin the squad after meetings with Nets governor Joe Tsai and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

"I think about all my teammates and how they're doing and what they're going through as NBA players. I want the best for everybody," the 12-time All-Star said. "Ky, the organization, I just want everything to be, all of us to be aligned. It was a rough situation and I felt like both sides learned more about each other, so, hopefully, going forward, he can just move on. We can move on, just play ball. I miss seeing him out here. I miss playing with him. But most of that stuff is out of my control, so I try not to focus on it too much. Just worry about what's in the locker room."

The five-game minimum for Irving's suspension has already passed, and the Nets haven't provided an update on the point guard's potential return.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn must lean heavily on Durant to carry the offensive load.

To the four-time scoring champion's credit, he has done everything in his power to keep the Nets afloat by averaging 30.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 threes per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.

From a talent perspective, Brooklyn has the potential to make noise this season, but Irving and Simmons will have to be on the floor alongside Durant.

Whether that'll happen on a consistent basis is impossible to predict.

Next up for KD and the Nets is a visit to the Moda Center on Thursday night to wrap up a four-game road trip against the 10-4 Portland Trail Blazers.