Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving being 'brutally honest' with input into coaching search

Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been “brutally honest” with their input into the team’s coaching situation, but neither will be in Orlando to watch interim coach Jacque Vaughn in action, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. 

General manager Sean Marks discussed the players' input during a Friday interview with WFAN in New York.

“It would not be smart of us if we were not to involve some of these key players in this decision,” Marks said. “Kevin, Kyrie, we’re going to pick their brains on what they’re looking for in a leader, what they need. They’ve been brutally honest so far. I’m not going to be asking Kevin to come down to Orlando to evaluate anybody. When you get to the level of those elite players, they have ultimate goals in mind. They want to be held accountable. Kevin and Kyrie have told me they want to win a championship in Brooklyn.”

Marks said Irving is “doing well” in his recovery from shoulder surgery in March, but implied the team never gave serious consideration to having Irving or Durant play in Orlando, citing the “risk-reward” factor and how it could affect the franchise in the long run.

There’s more Nets news to report:

• With a severely short-handed team headed for the NBA’s restart, Brooklyn’s next decision will be how much to use forward Caris LeVert, Lewis adds in the same piece. LeVert has a history of being injured and is considered the team’s best trade asset if it decides to pursue a third star. “I don’t make those decisions; I feel like that’s outside of me. That’s Sean (Marks) and ownership. That’s not really my job to think of those things,” LeVert said.
• The Nets’ roster woes will provide an opportunity for forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to prove he deserves a larger role, Lewis states in a separate story. After being waived in a preseason, then working his way onto the roster through a two-way contract and a pair of 10-day deals, Luwawu-Cabarrot should see plenty of playing time in Orlando. “It’s huge for us, huge for me,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going to miss them. But as we say this year and as it’s always been, it’s next man up. You have to stay ready and be ready to play … I’m sure they’ll support us and we’ll try and do the best job we can.”
• Matt Brooks and Chris Milholen of NetsDaily discuss potential replacements for center DeAndre Jordan, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week.