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Just when it seemed that everything had come to calm after Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his deal with the Brooklyn Nets on June 28, chaos ensued on June 30. Per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant has officially requested a trade from the Nets.
“Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks is working with Kevin Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman on finding a trade for the franchise star, Kleiman tells ESPN,” Wojnarowski said per his Twitter account on June 30.
“As the Nets prepare to move one of the most valuable trade assets ever on the market, the entire roster will be available to discuss in deals, sources tell ESPN. Teams have been calling on Durant, and the Nets will certainly look for a historic return on players and draft picks,” he added.
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Twitter Reacts to Kevin Durant Trade Request From Nets
Durant is a top-five player in the NBA today and arguably one of the greatest players in NBA history. With the bombshell news of him requesting a trade, Twitter was set ablaze with fan reactions.
Suns and Heat Among Durant’s Top Suitors
With Durant officially on his way out of Brooklyn, the sweepstakes are on for one lucky team to get one of the NBA’s best players. Especially because Durant will be entering the first year of a 4-year/ $198 million contract at the start of next season. Wojnarowski says that the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns have emerged as teams who will pursue the All-Star forward in a trade.
“Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there’s no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant,” Wojnarowski said per his Twitter account.
Nets Were Prepared for Durant Trade Request
Irving opted into the final year of his deal on June 28th, the day before the deadline. But even though he opted into the last year of his deal, Wojnarowski says that Kyrie and Durant had no contact with the franchise after making it official. At which point Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks prepared for the possibility of a Durant trade request.
“Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had no contact with the franchise after Irving opted into his deal on Monday, and a sense of inevitability existed that Durant would eventually ask for a trade, sources tell ESPN. It happened today,” Wojnarowski tweeted on June 30.
On June 30, 2019, Durant and Irving signed with the Nets in hopes of bringing a new culture to Brooklyn by bringing the franchise their first-ever championship. On June 30, 2022, Durant requested a trade from the Nets and essentially put an end to their hopes of winning a championship in the near future.
It is easy to point fingers as to where this potential dynasty went wrong. But the reality is that everyone has some blame in this situation. However, the last straw seemed to be the franchise not offering Kyrie Irving a max extension, something that Durant clearly wanted.
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