Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets at the end of June, but as we approach the end of July, he’s still a member of the team.
He has four years left on his deal and appears to still be in the prime of his career, so the Nets have a high asking price for him. As it turns out, it might be higher than what most teams would want to give up.
Durant listed the Heat and Suns as his preferred destinations, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll be able to go to either of those teams. Both teams are championship contenders and the Nets will likely ask them to gut their rosters to land the superstar.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up on July 20, Brian Windhorst reports that trade talks have slowed to nearly a halt, which might ultimately mean Durant will be a Brooklyn Net next year after all.
Not Looking Good for Durant
“From what I understand, the trade talks involving Kevin Durant have slowed to a trickle.”
(via @GetUpESPN)
If Durant really wants to get out of Brooklyn, then this is bad news for him. The Nets aren’t just going to trade a superstar of Durant’s caliber to just get rid of him, so their best bet at this point might be simply hanging onto him.
“From what I understand, the trade talks involving Kevin Durant have slowed to a trickle,” Windhorst reports. “You can still get some Nets folks on the phone if you wanna make an offer, but they are not aggressively, I am told, making outgoing calls.”
The Nets appear ready to play hardball with their disgruntled star as they aren’t actively trying to move him. Other teams can still step up and make an offer, but it’s not looking likely the Nets will get an offer that blows them away any time soon.
“The league is about to go on their first significant vacation in two years,” Windhorst continued. “People are scattering to Europe and the national parks, and Kevin Durant is still a Net. I don’t think that’s going to change in the short term.”
There’s still a long summer ahead, but Durant being moved to either of his top choices appears more unlikely by the day.
Kyrie Irving Going Anywhere?
Interestingly enough, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports Durant’s trade request might not even have anything to do with him. Instead, it could come down to getting Irving moved out of town.
“There is a school of thought speaking to people around the league that they think the Kevin Durant trade request wasn’t actually about him getting out of Brooklyn,” he said, as transcribed by HoopsHype. “It was about getting Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn.”
No matter what the case may be in Brooklyn, it’s clear the franchise is engulfed in all sorts of turmoil. With trades not anywhere in sight for either Irving or Durant, the pair might have to run it back and try for a championship. With Ben Simmons joining them next season, that might not be the worst option for the two of them.
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Kevin Durant Hit With Bad News Amid Nets Trade Drama: Report