Instant winners and losers from 2023 NBA trade deadline (updated)

Brooklyn Nets – Loser

Honestly, the Brooklyn Nets were in an unideal position heading into the final few days before the NBA Trade Deadline. Kyrie Irving wanted out and because of that, it left the team and Kevin Durant in an awkward place. In the end, the Nets traded both Kyrie and KD in a matter of a few days.

But the biggest reason why I believe the Nets are losers at this year’s NBA Trade Deadline is because they are left with no foundational building blocks after the trades for Kyrie and KD. Just draft picks. And while draft picks are fun, they are far from a certainty in the league. Especially for a struggling franchise like the Nets.

The Nets have a long road ahead of them and maybe they have a few draft picks to get them going, but the Kyrie-KD experiment was a far greater disaster than anyone could’ve predicted. It was a colossal mess. And I’m not sure what’s next for this franchise.