Brooklyn Nets Roster: Will Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons Return For 2022-2023 Season?

The Brooklyn Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics Monday night, ending one of the most disappointing NBA seasons in recent memory. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving didn’t play like superstars, while Ben Simmons didn’t play at all.

Usually when a team fails to meet expectations like the Nets did, major roster changes follow. Brooklyn was favored to win the championship for most of the season and became the only team to lose four straight games in the first round.

Durant is under contract through the 2025-2026 season and will be the cornerstone of the Nets’ roster for the next several years. Irving is headed for free agency and has the option of signing elsewhere.

In three seasons with the Nets, Irving has only won a single playoff series. Will the point guard consider playing for a new team in the 2022-2023 NBA season?

"I don't really plan on going anywhere," Irving told reporters after the Game 4 loss. "Like I said, this added motivation for our franchise to be at the top of the league for the next few years. And I'm just looking forward to the summer, and just building with our guys here."

Irving infamously said he intended to re-sign with the Boston Celtics in 2018, only to leave for Brooklyn the next summer. It’s possible that he could explore other opportunities.

The Nets might also be wary of giving Irving a max contract. Irving has missed considerable time in each of his three seasons with Brooklyn for various reasons, proving to be as unreliable as any stay player in the league.

Because of Irving’s immense talent and his close relationship with Durant, it’s hard to see owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks letting him walk in free agency.

"When I say I’m here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe and Sean and just our group of family members that we have in our locker room and our organization. It’s not just about me and Kev, I don’t want to make it just about that. We’re cornerstones here. We have Ben, we have a few other guys that are under contract.”

Irving acknowledged that his inability to play home games because he didn’t comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate affected the team. Now that the mandate has been lifted for professional athletes, Irving should be allowed to play at Barclays Center for the entirety of next season.

Simmons has three years and close to $114 million left on his contract. The three-time All-Star sat out the entire season. Brooklyn would be unlikely to get much in return for Simmons in a potential trade, given his tumultuous last year.

It’s unclear when Simmons will be ready to play in an NBA game.

There’s speculation that head coach Steve Nash could be on the hot seat. If Durant and Irving want Nash back, his job is probably safe.

After averaging 29.9 points per game on 51.8% shooting in the regular season, Durant was held to 26.3 points on 39.4% shooting by the Celtics. Irving scored 46 total points on 43 shot attempts in Games 2-4.