Brooklyn Nets: NBA Finals matchup bad for Brooklyn’s superteam dream

Scenario 3: The Best-case scenario for Brooklyn

Golden State wins without Kevin Durant due to his injury or sub-standard performance. This scenario would be ideal for Brooklyn because Durant would be heavily criticized.

Perhaps the media pressure narrative of how Golden State doesn’t need Durant might be the last straw. This could spurn his departure from Golden State and Brooklyn can try and steal him away.

Consequently, a Raptors loss could also precipitate Leonard’s anticipated departure from Toronto. This would not put Brooklyn ahead of the Clippers as a free agent destination for Leonard, but it may negate some of Leonard’s interest in staying with Toronto.

At the very least Nets GM Sean Marks might be able to convince Leonard to come to Brooklyn instead of going to the Clippers if Marks can sign Durant first.

That would be Brooklyn’s best pitch to sign Leonard and convince him that playing with Durant in Brooklyn would be better than staying in Toronto or signing with the Clippers.

However unlikely, this scenario is the best chance the Nets will have to try and pair Durant and Leonard in a superteam bid despite its rock-bottom low probability because of this Finals matchup and the strings Marks would have to pull to afford it then acquire them both.

Coming to the realization that this pairing is less likely than ever to happen now, perhaps the best the Nets can hope for is to sign Durant and build around him. That seems more likely, especially if his injury keeps him out of the Finals.

Marks was unlikely to renounce all of Brooklyn’s restricted free agents and move Crabbe to try and pair Durant and Leonard anyway, but there was hope that it could happen prior to Golden State and Toronto winning their respective conferences.

The harsh reality: Because of this NBA Finals matchup, it’s probably not even worth trying to pair KD and Kawhi anymore. The risk is too high and the odds are just too slim.

The only chance to realistically pair KD with Kawhi hinged on Golden State and Toronto being eliminated earlier in the playoffs. It’s too bad for Brooklyn neither of them bowed out early.

I expect Marks to take a different approach when free agency starts on July 1 due to these overwhelming obstacles and inconvenient circumstances.