Getty Kevin Durant and Steve Nash look on during a recent game against the Miami Heat.
Per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Kevin Durant officially requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on June 30. Durant will be entering the first year of a 4-year/ $198 million contract at the start of next season. So whoever lands the Nets star will be getting him with the guarantee of his services likely for the remainder of his prime.
Most of the blame in this Nets saga has largely been placed on Durant’s co-star Kyrie Irving, as he has been unavailable for the franchise for most of his three-year tenure. But NBA Insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports says that Nets head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks also deserve their share of criticism.
“I can tell you as much as the Nets narrative has been, it’s Kyrie Irving’s fault as it relates to James Harden and his relationship and just where it goes, I think as much as you want to use Kyrie Irving for accountability, I think you need to look in the mirror and look at Steve [Nash] and Sean Marks as well,” the insider said during an appearance on “The Wheelhouse” on Spotify Live.
“I know that Kyrie Irving, it’s an easy bargain to look at him and say that it’s his fault, you kind of got to look at the whole full spectrum.”
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Nets Could Use Holiday Weekend to Reconcile
Robinson also notes that as teams scramble to put together trade packages to land the 12-time All-Star, the Nets could use the 4th of July weekend to reconcile their differences with their stars.
The insider says that Brooklyn’s brain trust could use that time to map out a plan to get things back on track and mend the fences that have been broken within the organization. Similar to how the Golden State Warriors convinced Durant to join the franchise in the Hamptons back in 2016.
“I’d like to see them figure this thing out. I think it was 2016 when Kevin [Durant] ultimately made his decision to join the Warriors in free agency they used the Hamptons with Draymond and Steph Curry and some of the other brain trust within the Warriors organization,” Robinson added.
“I think [the Nets] should use the fourth of July weekend the same way to kind of figure out what’s next. I don’t know if they’re gonna use the Jersey Shore, I don’t know if they’re going to use Martha’s Vineyard, but they should use it to kind of let this freight train work itself out.”
Lakers Could Be in Play to Land Durant
If Durant can’t patch things up with the Nets front office, the Lakers could be in play for his services. Robinson refers to his report of Durant considering joining the Lakers during the 2018-19 season before ultimately joining Kyrie in Brooklyn. With a possible exit looming, forming one of the most lethal duos of all time with LeBron James could be back on the table.
“I know a lot of people have used this empowerment NBA era as it relates to guys who are stars and know what their worth is and knowing how to relate to owners. And I do think this is a situation where Kevin and Kai know they can go elsewhere and/or not play or force their way out,” Robinson added.
“Even a couple of years ago, where it relates to the Los Angeles Lakers, and where it relates to Kevin Durant and my reporting, Kevin Durant had intimated that the Lakers were a pretty legitimate option in his choice back then.”
With four years left on his contract and Kyrie opting into the final year of his deal, the Nets don’t have to trade either one of their stars. It will be interesting to see if the two sides can mend fences after all the turmoil they have gone through this offseason.
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