It has been nearly a month for the reason that information broke that Kevin Durant had requested a commerce from the Brooklyn Nets. A number of rumors have leaked relating to packages the Nets have requested different groups for, together with a daft one from the Timberwolves and a counter to a commerce proposal from the Celtics that reportedly included Jaylen Brown, however nothing has appeared near taking place.
So for now Durant stays in Brooklyn, which has publicly acknowledged its willingness to hold Durant and Kyrie Irving into coaching camp and finally the season if a proposal does not meet their exceedingly excessive calls for. Is Durant getting anxious for a deal? The longer this goes, and because the emotion of the Irving drama wears off, is he reconsidering his willingness to provide it one other go along with the Nets?
Maybe these speaking factors will probably be on the docket when Durant meets with Nets proprietor Joe Tsai, which he’s set to do that week in keeping with longtime NBA reporter Steve Bulpett.
“What I am listening to is that KD goes to fulfill with the proprietor this week,” the supply advised Heavy Sports activities. “He’ll go on to the proprietor, Joe Tsai, someday this week. We’ll see how that works.”
Whether or not the intent of the assembly is to easy over a relationship that suffered a minimum of a hairline fracture when Durant, with 4 years left on his contract, requested to be traded is unsure.
“I do not know,” the supply stated. “I do not know what is going on to come back of that assembly. There are some issues that KD is sad about, and I am undecided any of that will get mounted right here. However perhaps it does.”
The Nets have some leverage right here. Any time a celebrity requests a commerce it is sticky for the crew, no matter contract standing, however the truth that Durant is getting into the primary 12 months of a four-year deal means Brooklyn is not going to provide him away for something lower than a monster return. There very nicely won’t be a crew on the market that may justify paying such a value.
If the Nets need their finest shot at a title, they will stand tall and preserve Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons. That is a trio that may compete for a championship in the event that they collectively decide to the trigger and stay wholesome. However, the second Durant will get traded, the Nets turn into a considerably worse crew.
The rub can be Durant refusing to play for the Nets, but it surely’s onerous to think about him doing that. Durant, who’ll be 34 when the season begins, is a hooper by and thru. If it comes all the way down to it, he’ll play basketball and he’ll play as onerous as he can. This is not Houston James Harden we’re speaking about. Durant is as dependable a celebrity as there’s. He can request a commerce. He has that proper. However Brooklyn does not should do it. We’ll see what comes of this reported assembly.
