Nets Didn't Reach 'Full Potential' In Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Era, Sean Marks Says

The Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant era in Brooklyn came to an end this week with trades that sent both players to the Western Conference, and Nets general manager Sean Marks knows the team failed to capitalize on the opportunity to win with both star players on the roster.

"I think it would be easy to look in from the outside—and honestly I look at it internally—and say, well, it didn't work. Let's be honest there," Marks said, via The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov. "We did not reach the full potential of where we thought we can get to."

When Irving and Durant decided to team up in Brooklyn ahead of the 2019-20 season, many believed the duo would lead the Nets to an NBA title. Unfortunately for Marks and Co., the Nets never even came close.

Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from an Achilles injury, and Irving appeared in just 20 games before opting to undergo surgery on his injured shoulder. With the pair sidelined, Brooklyn finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 35-37 record and was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Raptors.

Irving and Durant returned healthy for the 2020-21 season, but they each missed time due to injury, appearing in 54 and 35 games, respectively. The Nets still managed to finish second in the Eastern Conference with a 48-24 record.

Brooklyn then went on to defeat the Boston Celtics in the first round of the postseason before being knocked out by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games.

Then came the 2021-22 campaign, which was arguably the most disappointing year for the duo in Brooklyn. While Durant appeared in 55 games, Irving was limited to 29 contests. For most of the season, he was unable to play at Barclays Center for his refusal to comply with New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for indoor arenas.

His absence contributed to the team finishing seventh in the East with a 44-38 record. Brooklyn went on to be swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics.

The Nets then entered a tumultuous offseason that consisted of Durant requesting a trade and Irving expressing interest in a sign-and-trade. Irving went on to opt into the final year of his contract worth $38.9 million, and Durant rescinded his trade request.

The two returned ready to compete for the 2022-23 campaign, but things fell apart quickly for Brooklyn.

First, Irving was suspended eight games by the Nets in November for posting the link to an antisemitic film on his social media accounts and, as the team statement read, his "failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so." He then posted a since-deleted apology to the Jewish community on his social media accounts before returning to the Brooklyn lineup.

Irving and Durant then spent about two months playing alongside each other before Durant hit the shelf with an MCL sprain that has sidelined him since Jan. 12. The Nets went 5-9 with the star sidelined through Feb. 7.

Then came news of Irving's trade request, and the Nets went on to trade him and Markieff Morris to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5 in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.

Irving's trade brought up speculation about Durant's future in Brooklyn, and he was traded to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected future first-round picks and a 2028 first-round pick swap.

The downfall of Irving and Durant in Brooklyn was swift and painful for the franchise that had committed so much to both players. With the duo getting a fresh start elsewhere, the Nets are just hoping to remain competitive in a tough Eastern Conference so they don't have to enter a full-scale rebuild.