Did Kevin Durant have an ulterior motive when he requested a trade from the Nets?
Kendrick Perkins thinks so.
Durant sent the basketball world ablaze last Thursday when he asked out of Brooklyn, as NBA fans and media members alike immediately started to speculate where the superstar forward might end up. But ever since that chaotic day, there's been next to nothing to report on the KD front.
That silence has been deafening for Perkins, who's starting to think Durant doesn't actually want to join a new team.
"I came up with the conclusion that I don't believe Kevin Durant. I don't believe it at all," Perkins said Tuesday on ESPN. "Matter of fact, it makes zero sense to me that he wants to be traded at this point. I don't believe he believes it. I think Kevin Durant is doing this as a scare tactic in order to help Kyrie Irving have leverage to get him signed long-term with the Brooklyn Nets."
Perkins continued: "We're talking about KD, a top-five player, arguably the best player in the NBA and we're saying he hasn't been moved yet? Look, KD is like the Jordan Concords, the 11s. Like, when they come out and you know it's a release day, it's an hour max before those Jordans are sold out. So, you're sitting up here telling me right now that Kevin Durant is still on the market? Unless you're Milwaukee and you're not giving up Giannis (Antetokounmpo), you're not giving up Ja Morant if you're Memphis, you're not giving up Luka (Doncic) if you're Dallas, you're not giving up Steph Curry. But if you're any other team around the NBA and Kevin Durant is on the market -- you mean to tell me that nothing has been done or no traction has picked up over the weekend? I don't believe it."
Arguably strengthening Perkins' case is that Durant reportedly is not answering phone calls and text messages from fellow NBA superstars who are trying to pick his brain. Perhaps that's because KD isn't interested in even entertaining the possibility of relocating for the third time in his career.
The irony in all of this is that many took the request as Durant detaching himself from Irving, when in reality, the former might be going the extra mile to strengthen their bond.
