Rockets Twitter reacts to Brooklyn’s early exit from 2022 NBA playoffs
Led by future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the star-studded Brooklyn Nets are somehow the only team in the 2022 NBA playoffs to exit without winning a game. That fate became final Monday, when Boston secured a 4-0 sweep to wrap up the first-round series.
Though Houston controls Brooklyn’s first-round NBA draft assets through 2027 as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade from January 2021, there are no immediate value implications. The Nets’ 2022 draft pick was locked at No. 17 overall after the play-in tournament, since the NBA does not factor in playoff results when determining its order.
Nonetheless, with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone in control of five additional seasons of Brooklyn’s first-round assets (swap rights in 2023, 2025, and 2027, along with direct pick conveyance in 2024 and 2026), the question marks surrounding the Nets could still work to Houston’s eventual benefit — even with the 2022 pick already finalized.
For example, Durant turns 34 years old in September and has had many injury issues in recent seasons. What happens if his game starts to decline? Or what if, as former teammate and current NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins suggested Tuesday, Durant decides to look for a new team?
.@Kendrickperkins thinks KD should ask the Nets for a trade 👀
"If I'm Kevin Durant, I'm getting the hell out. Kevin Durant deserves better." pic.twitter.com/czYXeKi8H9
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 26, 2022
There are also questions surrounding co-star Kyrie Irving, who has a player option to enter free agency in the 2022 offseason. And can the Nets ever get Ben Simmons — acquired as a centerpiece when Harden forced his way to Philadelphia in February — back on the court? Brooklyn expected Simmons to make his 2021-22 season debut during the Boston series, but he abruptly changed course late in the process.
There are certainly no guarantees that Brooklyn will decline. While Durant and Irving (30) are at ages where some declines can occur, it’s certainly not unprecedented for both to continue at their current production levels for some time. Moreover, Simmons will turn 26 in July, so there’s still plenty of time for him to get his NBA career back on track.
But suddenly, there are very real questions regarding the long-term outlook for a franchise that many around the NBA saw as an inevitable “super team” when the Rockets dealt Harden to Brooklyn in early 2021.
As such, after seeing many around the league question the value of those draft assets based on Brooklyn’s perceived strength, fans in Houston are enjoying how the tables suddenly turned. Scroll on for some of the top tweets, as Rockets fans hope for the best with those future picks.
Brooklyn gets swept. The Nets are in a tough situation. KD, Kyrie, Simmons, Joe Harris, Seth Curry make $140+M combined.
Patty Mills can opt out. Drummond, Bruce Brown, Claxton, Blake Griffin, Aldridge, Dragic are all free agents.
Rockets control their draft for 5 more years.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 26, 2022
And the Nets get swept in the 1st round. I need detractors of the #Rockets Harden trade to start walking their takes back.
Just ONE year post-trade & Stone already got the 17th overall pick + KD turns 35 before the 23-24 season, which is the next Nets pick that belongs to HOU
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) April 26, 2022
Kevin Durant reads, watches, listens to everything. If there's one agenda that needs to be pushed to give a huge boost to the value of those picks going to the #Rockets, it's that "KD should request a trade from the Nets." Salute to Big Perk. https://t.co/kbRKBUrwkU
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 26, 2022
lol at all of rockets twitter celebrating the nets downfall
— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) April 26, 2022
So what are the Nets going to do this off-season?
– Kyrie player option
– Bruce Brown free agency
– Claxton RFA / LMA UFA / Blake UFA / Drummond UFA / Dragic UFA
– Keeping Nash (awful)
As a Rockets fan, I couldn’t be more excited, this spells nothing good.
— Rishi (@kpjgoat3) April 26, 2022
What a perfect sequence of events for the Houston #Rockets
– Nets trades Houston every first round pick they own for Harden
– Kyrie misses 3/4ths of the season due to mandates
– Harden demands a trade to Philly
– Nets underperform all year
– Ben Simmons may never play again— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) April 26, 2022
This is music to Rockets fans ears. The Nets are in trouble pic.twitter.com/9hrIaxepr2
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) April 26, 2022
Great day to be a Rockets fan! History has repeated itself! The Nets have traded away their future for a declining star laden team and this time the Rockets own it. Just remember: Tatum & Brown, who just swept them, were the byproducts of the last time BK traded away its future
— Okeezie (@OkeezieSportsPT) April 26, 2022
Nets have officially been SWEPT from the first round despite having a healthy Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons.
If the band breaks up the #Rockets own all their picks through 2027 👀 pic.twitter.com/gEBysSG9MB
— Clutch City Entertainment (@ClutchCityENTX) April 26, 2022
Actually an interesting question for Rockets fans to ponder. What would be in Houston's best interests here, for the Nets to max out Kyrie or for them to let him walk? https://t.co/lL5An3wPXf
— Andrew Soukup (@asoukuptx) April 26, 2022
KD is looking a little too old to keep the Nets out of the lottery all the way through to 2027 out there #Rockets
— James Piercey (@JamesPiercey11) April 24, 2022
Rockets picks from BK rising by the minute! Thank you Kyrie! Run the Nets further into the ground! "Managing the franchise" got yall Steve Nash as coach a 1st round sweep 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/f97nEGVvYs
— Okeezie (@OkeezieSportsPT) April 26, 2022
The first year BKN owed a pick from the KG trade, they were a disappointing 44-38 and gave up pick #17 to Boston.
Two years later, JACKPOT.
The first year BKN owed a pick from the Harden trade, they were a disappointing 44-38 and gave up pick #17 to Houston.
Two years later…
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 26, 2022
Just a friendly reminder that the Rockets own the Nets first round draft picks for the next 6 years. pic.twitter.com/mdckODvLfx
— Will Scott (@WillScott44) April 26, 2022
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