Kevin Durant made his first reported trade request on June 30, and it appears he’s doubled down to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday Durant met with Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai where he reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai he needs to choose between the All-NBA forward or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash.
Charania also added Durant does not have faith in the team’s direction.
There are a handful of teams still in the running to trade for Durant, including the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, but the Nets reportedly have a high asking price for the former MVP, which has made completing a deal difficult. The Celtics still are seen among the “most significant” candidates due to Jaylen Brown being part of the deal.
The Heat are on Durant’s reported wish list, but a deal would need to include Ben Simmons due to the rookie-scale extension rules regarding Bam Adebayo.
South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman noted Nets training camp starts on Sep. 26, and if Durant and Nash are still in Brooklyn, that would make the meeting awkward, to say the least. Winderman also pointed out how Sep. 26 is likely to be the deadline for a Durant deal if it does happen, or the Nets could fire Marks and Nash to keep Durant, who signed a four-year, $198 million contract extension last season. The first year of the deal kicks in during the 2022-23 season.
Tsai and the Nets front office will have to decide if they give in to Durant’s trade demands, or if they fire a promising new head coach in order to find someone better suited to coach Durant and Kyrie Irving. It’s safe to say the answer will come sooner rather than later.
