Beloved New Jersey Nets legend Jason Kidd came back as a first-time coach in 2013 and attempted a front office coup, only to fail and be sent off to Milwaukee. The Nets got two second rounders. They had demanded a first.
Deron Williams had the keys to Brooklyn in front of Borough Hall in 2012 only to say “New Yorkers are tough or at least they think they are” before departing for Dallas.
Hometown hero Kyrie Irving created a whirlwind of issues and was gone before the Nets could even try for a second playoff series win with him.