Getty/Harry How Kevin Durant (right), when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors.
The trade talks for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant have hit a standstill. What at one point seemed like a sure thing is now surrounded by a bevy of speculation. When Durant made his trade request at the beginning of the free agency period, most assumed that the Nets would have no problem finding a trade partner. But to this point, that has not been the case.
The Nets have been stern in not accepting any trade offers for Durant that are not substantial enough for a player of his caliber. But on the other side, teams have been cautious about how many assets they should part with to land the Nets star. Dieter Kurtenbach of The Mercury News says that the Golden State Warriors and Nets could benefit each other in a potential Durant deal.
“The Warriors have a literal champagne problem. Fresh off their NBA Finals victory and champagne showers in Boston, Golden State finds itself in an enviable dilemma: They have too many good players. The team’s ‘two-timelines’ plan worked. The old blended with the young and created a championship team. And now everyone wants to get paid. That’s where the trouble comes in for the Warriors,” Kurtenbach writes.
“The Warriors can try to thread the needle — they can test fate and try to offload Poole or Wiggins or even Green — or they can solve the problem right here and now by committing to one timeline and trading for Kevin Durant.”
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There Is ‘Zero Momentum’ on the Durant Trade Front
Most expected rival teams to give up anything to land Durant when he made his trade request to Brooklyn on June 30. Every team poked around to see what it would cost for the Nets to offload their franchise player, including the Golden State Warriors.
But the Nets star has only played 90 games in the last two seasons due to injuries, and as a star who will turn 34 years old in September, he could be entering the backend of his career.
As a result, rival teams have become wary about how much to part with in a potential deal for the 12-time All-Star, and all signs are pointing to him still being on Brooklyn’s roster this fall.
“The Warriors kicked around the idea of trading for Durant when the soon-to-be 34-year-old former Dub put in his trade request to the Brooklyn Nets a month ago. Every team in the NBA did,” Kurtenbach adds.
“But despite Durant being one of the NBA’s best players, there is zero momentum behind him on the trade front. There’s an occasional blip of interest, but the odds are increasingly likely that he will remain a Net at least for the start of the season.”
Exec Calls Out Warriors for Interest in Landing Durant
Based on how their run ended, a Durant, Warriors reunion might be one of the most anticipated in sports history. However, one anonymous NBA executive told Heavy’s Steve Bulpett that the Warriors’ reported interest in a reunion with Durant is not necessarily about needing him on the roster. It is more about keeping him away from other competitors that would jeopardize their chances of a repeat.
“I think they’re worried about where KD might wind up,” the executive told Heavy Sports.
“[The Warriors] are in a good spot. They’ve got young guys behind their veterans, and they could be really good for a long time, so I’m not sure they really want KD. But I think they’re worried he might go someplace and beat them — if that team isn’t all depleted from what they have to do to get him.”
Trade talks involving Durant have taken a brief pause, which has grown speculation that both he and Irving could still be on the Nets roster at the start of training camp. If they can buy in, Brooklyn could be among the top title contenders in 2022.
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