On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets released a statement from general manager Sean Marks regarding their decision to move forward with Kevin Durant.
Brands through the networks: “Steve Nash and I, along with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman yesterday in Los Angeles. We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focused on basketball, with a collective goal of mind: building an enduring franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”
This massive announcement comes after months of speculation surrounding his future with the organization.
On June 30, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that he requested a trade from the Nets.
Woj on June 30: “Kevin Durant made trade request directly to Nets owner Joe Tsai today, sources tell ESPN.”
On August 8, Shams Charania of The Athletic had a great report on a meeting that took place between Durant and the property.
Xarania on August 8: “In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai had to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash , according to sources.”
Still, even after all that, it looks like the Nets will keep Durant after all.
The 12-time NBA All-Star still he has four years left to his contract, so the Nets really have all the power here.
Many times when a superstar asks for a trade, he usually gets traded.
That said, the players who typically request trades don’t have the kind of long-term contracts that he does.
Now, it will come down to whether Durant still has a good season and if he really wants to be there
If not, the drama could continue.
However, if things smooth out, the Nets are heavy favorites to win the 2023 NBA Championship.
Before the Nets, Durant won two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors.
He has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he won the 2014 NBA MVP award.
