Getty Kevin Durant and Steve Nash look on during a recent game against the Miami Heat.
To say that the 2022 offseason was a tumultuous one for the Brooklyn Nets would be a severe understatement. For those who may be tardy to the party, superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade from the franchise on June 30.
For much of the summer, trade talks for the 12-time All-Star fell flat. When it became apparent the trade market for him was scarce, Durant met with Nets owner Joe Tsai to offer him a strong ultimatum regarding his future with the franchise. Either general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash be fired, or his trade demand would be upheld.
“In a face-to-face meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources tell The Athletic. Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction, sources said,” NBA insider Shams Charania of “The Athletic” reported in August.
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Steve Nash Breaks Silence on Durant Wanting Him Fired
After a tug of war between Durant and the Nets over his offseason trade demand, the star forward agreed to return to Brooklyn and affirmed he plans to honor the 4-year, $198 million deal he inked in 2021.
The Brooklyn Nets officially kicked off the 2022-23 season on September 26 as they welcomed reporters for NBA Media Day. During media day, Nash addressed reporters and broke his silence about Durant demanding his termination for the first time.
“Families go through things like this,” Nash told reporters Monday via Tania Ganguli of the New York Times. “You go through adversity. You go through disagreements.”
Steve Nash on KD asking for him to be fired: “Families go through things like this. You go through adversity. You go through disagreements.”
Durant Had Concerns Over Nets Effort Last Season
Durant was the first player to address reporters during Nets Media Day, as many people still had unanswered questions regarding his trade demand. Though there was no denial of his demand that Nash and Marks be fired, there was more to be said on his request to be moved from the franchise.
The Nets star revealed he had concerns surrounding Brooklyn’s effort last season, specifically during the 10-game losing streak they went on when he was injured.
“I wanted everybody to be held accountable for their habits as a basketball player. I think a lot of stuff was getting swept under the rug because we’re injured or this guy’s not around or just the circumstances. I thought we could have fought through that a little bit more and focused on the guys that were here a little bit more,” Durant told reporters on Monday per Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.
“When I went out with the injury, we lost 10 in a row. And I’m like, we shouldn’t be losing some of these games that we lost, regardless of who’s on the floor. So, I was more so worried about how we’re approaching every day as a basketball team. And I felt like we could have fought through a lot of the stuff that I felt that held us back.”
All eyes will be on Durant and the Nets to see how far they go this season. It will be interesting to see if they can silence their critics.