NBA 101

 Did Nets’ separate peace with Kyrie Irving lead to Kevin Durant’s return?

Could the Nets strategy to get Kevin Durant back in black-and-white have turned on something simple — make a separate peace with Kyrie Irving, then use proof of their good intentions with Irving to lure KD back? Or alternately, could Durant and manager Rich Kleiman’s strategy been similarly simple — get the Nets to deal with KD’s friend first, then we talk return?

There is ample reporting that Durant was exasperated by more than the Nets stand on Irving’s contract and there certainly were a lot of factors that went into the decision announced Tuesday morning, things like Durant and the Nets both being surprised at the league’s low-ball offers for the 33-year-old and a realization by KD that Brooklyn was and is his best chance to win again.

But a look at the chronology of events — and comments by Shams Charania Wednesday — might make you think that the Nets tackled their relationship with Irving first. then moved on Durant. That could not have been easy for the Nets brass. Sean Marks and Steve Nash had made it clear in May that Irving needed to be available, be committed after a miserable season that had him play only 29 games. His high-profile refusal to get vaccinated amid New York’s tough vaccine mandate had been the biggest impediment to team success.

Indeed, at the beginning of the process, the idea of an Irving return to grace seemed unlikely. More than one pundit said they could not see Irving returning to the Nets. There was too much bad blood, too much misery to overcome.

Still, critical to either side’s strategy was the realization that the friendship between Irving and Durant is an enduring one. Three days after the Nets and Irving reached a standstill on a five-year, $246 million extension and Irving opted into the last year of his current contract at $36.5 million, Durant said he wanted out of Brooklyn. He made no statement listing reasons or demands. In fact, he made no statement at all, but the Irving contract was considered at the very least a irritant, at the worst, a trigger.

“The one guy with the Nets that Kevin Durant had remained in communication with, from everything I’ve been told, was Kyrie Irving,” Shams Charania told Rich Eisen Wednesday. “That was the one guy that he was communicating with on a regular basis. ...That relationship goes beyond just basketball. I think it’s more a life friendship that those do have. “

Los Angeles Lakers acquire Patrick Beverley from Utah Jazz

The Los Angeles Lakers acquire Utah Jazz guard Patrick Beverley in a trade, the team announced on Thursday.

The deal sends Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson to the Jazz.

"We are thrilled to add Patrick Beverley's toughness and competitive spirit to our team," Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said. "We're confident that Patrick's '3-and-D' style will fit in nicely with the other pieces of our roster and align perfectly with Coach Ham's philosophy of hard work and smart play."

Beverley referenced the deal in a tweet Thursday morning, writing that he "woke up a Laker!"

Beverley, 34, returns to Los Angeles after spending 2017 to 2021 with the Clippers, bringing with him a well-established ferocity and defensive presence that new coach Darvin Ham is determined to implement into the defense that ranked 21st in the league last season.

Beverley played a significant role in the Minnesota Timberwolves' return to the playoffs last season before landing in Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert trade. Beverley was eager to join the Lakers in a trade, sources said, and thrilled to learn of the impending deal.

Over the past five seasons, Beverley has held opponents to 41.9% shooting as the closest defender, second best among players defending 2,000 shots, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Beverley's arrival on an expiring $13 million contract essentially leaves only LeBron James ($46.7 million) and Anthony Davis ($40.6 million) on the Lakers' books in 2023-24, delivering them significant salary-cap space to remake the roster around those two All-NBA stars.

The Jazz acquire Horton-Tucker, 21, as the franchise moves toward a rebuild. Utah remains active in trade talks on All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Horton-Tucker averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Lakers last season.

Johnson averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game last season.

Chet Holmgren injury update: Thunder rookie out entire 2022-23 season after hurting right foot at Pro-Am

Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City Thunder's No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, will miss the entire 2022-23 season, the team announced Thursday. Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot.

"Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "We know Chet has a long career aead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation."

Holmgren was playing at Jamal Crawford's "The Crawsover Pro-Am" in Seattle last weekend and at one point went up to defend LeBron James at the rim. He appeared to land awkwardly and was limping as he tried to make his way back down the court. He left the game after that play and a short time later the entire event was called off due to condensation on the court. (His injury did not seem to be related to the court issue.