Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during the first half against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center on April 05, 2022.
After weeks of stalemate, the Kevin Durant saga could finally be getting some movement.
A league executive told Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett that Durant is planning to meet with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, more than a month after the former league MVP reportedly requested a trade. While it’s not clear which direction the meeting could push the trade demand, the Golden State Warriors could be among those feeling the ramifications.
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Durant Trade Movement Could Come Soon
The executive told Heavy.com’s Bulpett that Durant is planning to talk with Tsai sometime this week, a meeting that could address some of the issues that led Durant to request a trade in the first place. It’s unclear which direction the talk will push Durant’s trade request, however.
“I don’t know,” said the executive regarding the expected outcome. “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.”
New:
Source tells me Kevin Durant is expected to meet with Nets owner this week: “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 Warriors had been one of the teams once linked to Durant. Ric Bucher of Fox Sports reported that Steph Curry reached out to Durant several times to broach the idea of a reunion, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show” that the Warriors were having internal discussions about a trade for Durant.
“First off, the Warriors always believe in open throttle,” Windhorst said at the time. “The Warriors have shown they don’t care what they spend. … This has been a discussion inside the Warriors organization. [Steph] Curry’s been asked about it, and Curry gave a nonanswer. But he didn’t shut it down. He didn’t say, ‘Hell no.’ ”
A much softer “no” may have come a bit later from Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who said there would likely be no major roster changes.
“I like our team and where it’s at,” Myers told NBA.com. “I want to give the guys a chance to do it again.”
But given that the Warriors had already shown interest in Durant, it’s possible they jump back into the fray if the asking price should change or if the Nets are more aggressive in talks.
Durant Trade Could Thaw NBA Market
Even if the Warriors don’t jump back into the mix on Durant, his potential trade could still have an impact on them. The Athletic’s Fred Katz noted that a pair of major offseason trades — San Antonio sending Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for two unprotected first-round picks and the Minnesota Timberwolves three unprotected first-round picks to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert — have set an unreachable standard for future trades.
As Katz noted, these trades mean the Nets will want “all your draft picks, all your good players, your Hulu login info and your first-born child for Kevin Durant.” The situation is impacting the rest of the NBA as well, he added, as other major moves won’t happen until there is a resolution to Durant’s drama in Brooklyn.
“Various teams are waiting on what could happen with Durant,” Katz wrote. “They won’t make a move until they know they can no longer acquire him.”
While the Warriors are likely out of the trade market, plans for any future free-agent acquisitions may also need to wait until the market is unfrozen by a Durant decision.
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