Getty Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant were reported to have a meeting scheduled this week by Heavy’s own Steve Bulpett. Joe Tsai is the owner of the Brooklyn Nets and the person that Durant is expected to be meeting with. Will the two be talking about what led to Durant’s trade demand? Will the meeting cause further separation for the two sides? We don’t know. The same league source that told Bulpett about the meeting also clarified that he is unaware of what the meeting may result in for the two parties.
“I don’t know,” said the exec. “I have no idea what’s going to come of that meeting. There are some things that KD is unhappy about, and I’m not sure any of that gets fixed here. But maybe it does.”
The Nets in their negotiations, seem to be holding out hope that the 12-time All-Star will take back his trade request and return to Barclays Center next season. They have had a pretty impressive offseason thus far, adding players like Royce O’Neale and TJ Warren, and with Ben Simmons returning from injury could have a new dimension and added depth from last season. If things were to be fixed in Brooklyn, they could really challenge the East if things aren’t as messy as last season or even this offseason.
Kevin Durant’s Agent at Barclays Center
However, the reported meeting with Durant and Joe Tsai wasn’t the only positive development in Nets negotiations this week.
On August 2, Cody Mallory, a contributor for FanSided, shared a tweet that Kevin Durant’s agent Rich Kleiman was at Barclay’s Center for a New York Liberty game and was seen hugging the Nets owner and sitting with a Nets assistant coach.
“Rich Kleiman (KD’s business manager/partner) hugged Clara Wu Tsai and is sitting with a Brooklyn Nets assistant coach at tonights New York Liberty game at the Barclays Center
Interesting on the same day a report came out that Kevin Durant is set to meet with Joe Tsai this week” Mallory tweeted.
Aside from the tweet and sentence in a NetsDaily article, there is no evidence that corroborates the hug between the two, however, the two have partnered together in business deals in the past and it isn’t unlikely. What the interaction could mean is the growing speculation that the Nets trading Durant is unlikely.
Mallory noted the timing of the interaction as interesting as it came just hours after the Bulpett report of the two sides coming together to meet. Perhaps this is the strongest indication that things could be mending in Brooklyn.
Other Nets Players at Liberty Game
Rich Kleiman wasn’t the only notable guest in attendance at Barclays Center for the Liberty game. Nets players Ben Simmons, Kessler Edwards, and Day’ron Sharpe were also in the crowd to support women’s basketball as well as the Liberty.
Kleiman was also noted as to have sat next to Nets assistant Ryan Forehan-Kelly courtside at the August 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks. If it means more than a business partner catching a game or shows that Durant may be opening up more and more to the idea of staying in Brooklyn is expected to be seen more in the coming days.