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Brooklyn Nets · Franchise era 7 of 7

The superstar swing and reset: the Brooklyn Nets story

The story in one sentence

A breathtaking collection of scorers never stayed healthy or stable long enough, leading Brooklyn back into an asset-driven rebuild.

01

Durant and Irving arrive; another future is rebuilt

02

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Mikal Bridges gave the era its recognizable core.

03

Its final meaning is still being written.

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Before 2019–20

    What came before

    Without its own premium picks, Brooklyn found undervalued players and built a surprising playoff team.

  2. 2021

    Eastern Conference First Round: Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics

    Eastern ConferenceFirst Round
    2021
    BROOKLYNNETS
    BOSTONCELTICS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    Eastern Conference First Round · 5 games

    Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 5 · Jun 1, 2021Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets →Closest game · Game 3 · May 28, 2021Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics →

  3. 2021

    Eastern Conference Semifinals: Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Eastern ConferenceSemifinals
    2021
    BROOKLYNNETS
    MILWAUKEEBUCKS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    Eastern Conference Semifinals · 7 games

    Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 7 · Jun 19, 2021Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets →Closest game · Game 3 · Jun 10, 2021Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks →

  4. February 9, 2023

    Phoenix's Kevin Durant all-in wager

    New Suns ownership immediately compressed a Finals-tested core into another superstar beside Devin Booker. Brooklyn abandoned its own superteam and reclaimed flexibility.

    17TradeFebruary 9, 2023To PHXPHXDURANT35PHXWARREN12To BKNBKNBRIDGES1BKNJOHNSON—DraftPICKround asset+5 assetsDurant to PhoenixPHX receives Kevin Durant, T.J. WarrenBKN receives Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Rights: Juan Pablo Vaulet + 5 more10 original assets · 3 outcomes tracedOpen trade →

  5. 2023

    Eastern Conference First Round: Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers

    Eastern ConferenceFirst Round
    2023
    BROOKLYNNETS
    PHILADELPHIA76ERS
    COMPLETE SERIES

    Eastern Conference First Round · 4 games

    Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers

    Open the complete series →

    Series finale · Game 4 · Apr 22, 2023Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets →Closest game · Game 3 · Apr 20, 2023Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets →

  6. Still unfolding

    Where the story stands

    This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.

The core

Faces of the chapter

01Kevin Durant→02Kyrie Irving→03James Harden→04Mikal Bridges→
← Previous eraThe patient rebuild2016–17—2018–19