The sold their soul to win it all with the Big Three of , , and — until they didn’t. That team owned headlines around New York City and the league alike, with the big names taking front stage. But the farthest they reached in the playoffs was Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a game which the Nets would lose in overtime to the in heartbreaking fashion.
That Bucks squad went on to win the NBA Finals that year, leading to ponders of whether or not it would’ve been the Nets in that position had they knocked off the Bucks in that game. Those are all hypotheticals, but what is not hypothetical is the long-term damage that era caused for the Nets’ organization. Brooklyn essentially traded all of their draft capital to acquire those stars, particularly James Harden, going all in to win in the now.
But when that failed, and the Nets sold off Irving and Durant at the 2023 Trade Deadline, it ushered in a long process of pain for the Nets. Full Rebuild Incoming Nets owner Joe Tsai recently revealed news that was a long time in the making, but news that many fans felt coming. At a discussion panel, Tsai revealed that the Nets are heading towards a full rebuild.
“The Brooklyn Nets is [sic] at a crossroads in a way. I think we didn't do as well as we expected last season. We didn't make the playoffs, but we hope to revamp the team and make sure that we can compete in the long run.
” — Joe Tsai The 2023-24 season was the first for the Nets without any members of the .