Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets
The Miami Heat got major news on the afternoon of August 8 when Shams Charania released the bombshell report about the London meeting between Kevin Durant and team owner Joe Tsai this weekend.
“In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources say,” Charania tweeted with the report.
In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources say.
Story:
What looked this week like the Brooklyn Nets could be preparing for Kevin Durant to return to Brooklyn next season finally got some much-needed clarity. Durant met with team owner Joe Tsai this weekend in London, and Durant stated that Tsai would need to choose between him or Steve Nash and Sean Marks. Tsai will need to choose if he moves forward with the team’s general manager and head coach or its generational talent that the team signed to a four-year extension a year ago.
Heat Among ‘Most Significant’ to Trade For Durant
Shams Charania in his reporting for The Athletic, cited the Miami Heat as one of the three’ most significant’ landing spots for the Nets superstar.
“The Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain the most significant candidates to acquire Durant, sources said,” Charania wrote.
However, Charania followed up that report by also saying that the Nets expect to scrape every “asset” they can in any Durant deals.
“Tsai and the Nets have made clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant, sources said,” reported Charania of The Athletic.
Brooklyn’s humongous asking price for Durant is one of the reasons that a trade has yet to get done for the 12-time All-Star. Bam Adebayo has been reported to be the main asset that the Nets want to be included in return for Durant and that the Heat have yet to include Bam in a deal.
“Though the Nets would have interest in Bam Adebayo in a Durant trade, the Heat has not included Adebayo in offers for Durant and appears disinclined to do so,” Chiang and Jackson wrote.
Adebayo Could Get Durant Trade Done
Although Adebayo has not been included in the deal, one Eastern Conference executive has claimed that is what the Nets want and that if he is offered, a deal could get done for Kevin Durant.
“The Nets have gotten them to the point they were trying to get them to, which is, ‘OK, do we include Bam (Adebayo) in one of these packages?’ The young players, Tyler Herro, the picks they have that is not going to get Durant. Adebayo will. When the stuff came out about Jaylen Brown, that was aimed at a team like Miami, letting them know they’ve got to add Bam, letting Phoenix know they’ve got to add (Devin) Booker. If the package is Bam and some of their bench pieces and three picks, the Nets might not do better than that,” the Eastern Conference executive said.
If Adebayo is included in a deal for Durant, then Ben Simmons would have to also be traded as Simmons, and Adebayo cannot be on the same team due to the collective bargaining agreement for rookie extensions.
Adebayo Would Love to Play Whole Career in Miami
While his name has been in trade rumors all weekend, Adebayo recently spoke about his desire to stay in Miami and play his entire career there.
“If I could, I would,” Adebayo said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “Just to have that opportunity to be around this community for my whole career. A lot of the community has seen my grown up. Going from a random 14th draft pick to being a cornerstone in this organization and to become something bigger. It’s just one of those things that’s dope when people grow with you.”