Getty Kyrie Irving and Steve Nash share a laugh on the sideline.
The Brooklyn Nets have a real problem on their hands now after Kevin Durant met with team owner Joe Tsai and reiterated his desire to be traded.
Before, it wasn’t public knowledge about why he wanted out, but The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed the reason is that Durant doesn’t have faith in the direction of the franchise. On top of that, he handed down an ultimatum to the Nets: him or them.
“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.”
While that’s bad news for the Nets, they do still have Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons to build around.
Not so fast.
A source speaking to the New York Post says Irving shares those same sentiments, and used more colorful language than Charania did in his report.
Irving Agrees
The source confirms to The Post that Durant and Irving both share the same thoughts regarding the Nets coach and general manager pairing.
“Kyrie Irving hates these guys,” the source said to the New York Post. “He feels that Nash is terrible and Marks is bad. KD came to the same conclusion.”
It’s a tough spot for the Nets to be in, but Irving did ultimately opt into the final year of his deal and seems to be gearing up to play the season out with Brooklyn. As for Durant, that seems very up in the air at this point.
“The Nets have direct knowledge of the reasons behind Durant’s request, sources said, and understand that the 12-time All-Star will continue to be resolute in his stance,” Charania said. “Durant is believed to want a change of scenery heading into his 16th season.”
What Will the Nets Do?
Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.
After the report came out, Nets owner Joe Tsai did respond on Twitter by saying the decisions made will be in the made in the best interest of the team.
“Our front office and coaching staff have my support,” he said. “We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
This seems to indicate he isn’t ready to just fire the head coach and general manager, so a Durant trade might seems like the best possibility here. So far, the Nets have balked at any offer made for Durant, but now things are getting more pressing as the trade request has dragged out for over a month now.
Durant is under contract for four more seasons, but Irving just has a single year left and it’s looking more likely by the day he doesn’t plan on resigning if changes aren’t made.
The Nets have a lot of things to think about before the season begins, and there’s a big chance this roster can look wildly different between now and the start of the new year.
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Kyrie Irving Sends Strong Message to Nets After Kevin Durant Meeting: Report