Nets re-sign Kessler Edwards, but no movement on Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving
Nets forward Kessler Edwards brings the ball upcourt against the Pacers during the second quarter at Barclays Center on April 10. Credit: Brad Penner
The Nets quietly re-signed another player Wednesday as they continued to deal with the drama surrounding unhappy superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The team announced the signing of Kessler Edwards on twitter. Though terms of the deal weren’t announced, it was widely reported to be a two-year deal which includes a team option for next season.
Edwards, a 6-8 wing, was the 44th selection in the 2021 draft. He started off this past season on a two-way deal before it was converted to a standard NBA contract before the playoffs.
Because of injuries on the Nets, Edwards saw a decent amount of court time as a rookie. He appeared in 48 games (23 starts) and averaged 5.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.6 minutes. He also played in seven games for the Long Island Nets.
So far in free agency, the Nets have agreed to deals with Patty Mills, Nicolas Claxton, Edmond Sumner, T.J. Warren and now Edwards.
What hasn’t been sorted out yet is the future of Durant and Irving.
Shortly after Irving announced that he was opting into his $37 million player option for next season, Durant called team owner Joe Tsai and said he wanted to be traded. It is also assumed that Irving also does not want to play with the Nets again next season.
While there has been all kinds of speculation about landing spots for both players, the Nets do not appear to be in any hurry to get a deal done.
Stars of Durant’s caliber are almost never available, and Nets general manger Sean Mark is said to be looking for a haul of epic proportions for the four-time MVP scoring champion who is under contract for four years.
Multiple titles were being predicted for the Nets when they landed Durant and Irving as a package deal three summers again. Instead, the Nets have never managed to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
The Nets began this past season favored by almost everyone to win a title. Instead, they struggled in the regular season as Irving played just 29 games because of his vaccination status. They were then swept by Boston in the first round of the playoffs.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
