12-time All-Star Kevin Durant reportedly reiterated his nearly six-week old trade request in a recent meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai and informed him that he would not return if general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash remained with the team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Charania reported that the meeting “was described as transparent and professional” with Durant citing a lack of faith in the franchise’s direction as a reason for his trade request.
Marks took over as the Nets’ general manager in February 2016 and has architected four playoff appearances over the past four seasons and engineered the acquisitions of All-Stars Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Ben Simmons.
Nash joined the team ahead of the 2020-21 season with Durant and Irving’s blessing but has managed just the lone playoff series win over two seasons albeit with injury-affected squads.
Tsai publicly threw his support behind Marks and Nash in a tweet posted this morning:
Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.
— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022
Durant, 33, requested to be traded on 30 June and, whilst the Nets have been fielding calls from across the league, there has been little traction on any potential deals.
Boston, Toronto, and Miami are viewed as the teams most aggressively pursuing Durant, with Boston’s package centred around All-Star guard Jaylen Brown seen by many as the most viable.
Many view a trade surrounding Durant as a potential domino with several separate trades and free agent deals expected to be agreed upon in its aftermath, should it happen.
Should Durant eventually be moved, expect the Lakers to ramp up their pursuit of Kyrie Irving, which they have reportedly been holding out for.
Some are questioning whether Durant would sit out training camp if the situation is not resolved, however, all parties involved would prefer the saga to have concluded by that time.
Durant played in 55 games this past season, averaging 29.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 6.4 apg on .518 from the field and .383 from three.
The Nets’ season, however, ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of Boston in a series that Durant struggled mightily in; he averaged just 26.3 ppg on .386 from the field and .333 from three with 5.3 turnover per game.
The soon-to-be 34-year-old is under contract through until the end of the 2025-26 season and is owed an average amount of $48,416,477 annually.
