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The Brooklyn Nets have now learned Kevin Durant has not changed his mind about a trade and still has a desire to be traded.
With more than a month now passed since his request, there was some hope among fans that he could change his mind, but it looks like he has dug in even deeper now. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports Durant doesn’t have faith in the franchise, and has asked them to choose between him or coach Steve Nash and general manager Joe Tsai.
“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 with direct knowledge of the meeting tell ‘The Athletic,’” Charania wrote. “Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction, sources said.”
It seems like the same sentiment is shared by fellow Nets star Kyrie Irving, so there’s a chance there could be a lot of upheaval within the organization, whether it’s the coach and GM, or Irving and Durant.
Through all of this, the Nets have remained high on Ben Simmons and are looking forward to seeing him on the floor, no matter what comes out of all this.
Simmons is Important
Trading James Harden was a tough decision to make last season for the Nets, and they ultimately sent him away in exchange for Ben Simmons.
Simmons hasn’t played basketball in over a year now, and he underwent back surgery shortly after the season ended. Despite all that, the Nets have high hopes for their star guard, and they believe he’s a good fit next to Irving and Durant.
“The Nets are incredibly high on Simmons’ return to play following his recovery from back surgery in May, viewing him as a perfect complement around Durant and Irving,” reports Charania.
It’s not clear whether or not their dreams will become reality because of the tumultuous relationship with their two stars, but they can hope for the best.
When healthy and on the floor, Simmons is a defensive stalwart and excellent playmaker, something any team can use. Where he struggles is his shooting, and that’s a big part about why he’s no longer with the Sixers. With the Nets, he could settle in as the third option, and that could’ve possibly allowed him to flourish.
Now, the Nets may never see that come into fruition.
Simmons Prevents Durant Trades
Interestingly enough, having Simmons on the roster actually prevents the Nets from swinging for the fences in a Durant trade.
This is because of a rule being in place that prevents two players who signed the rookie max extension to be on a team together via a trade. That means names like Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins can’t become Nets as long as Simmons is on the team too.
Durant has the Suns and Heat at the top of his wish list, and Simmons is preventing the Nets from getting the best offer possible from both of those teams.
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