Kevin Durant may want out, but if the Brooklyn Nets cannot get what they want, he will be suiting up for the team this upcoming season whether he likes it or not.
Durant’s business manager, Rich Kleiman, confirmed to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski in late June that the 12-time All-Star had requested a trade out of Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Nets continue to posture that they’re prepared to keep Kevin Durant this season if the trade offers they receive on the market don’t improve.
“All three of these sides have wanted to get out of this marriage,” said Brian Windhorst. “We have Kyrie who was looking around for sign-and-trades before he opted into his contract.
“We have the Nets who have been involved in trade discussions with these players for the last couple of weeks and offered Kyrie a short-term contract that they knew he probably wasn’t going to take anyways.
“And we have Durant, who actually went ahead and asked for a trade.
“All three of them have said ‘We’re not crazy about this going forward.’
“To come through the smokescreen on the other side of that and having them all together, it’s probably the smart decision with what is on the table for the Nets right now, so I see why they’re going there. I just find it hard to believe it is going to lead to the outcome that they’re all looking for.
“I will just say it that is the second week of July. We are months and months away from the training camp. We are months and months and months away from the start of the season. A lot of things can happen.
“I get why they would take this position right now. And I got to tell you, that’s out there strong in the league. This is the position that they’re taking. ‘We don’t like anything and if you’re not going to improve your offer, we’re going to take them off the table.’
“I’ve got to wait and see how Durant feels about that. With literally one tweet, he can push this in either direction.”
The Miami Heat appeared on Kevin Durant’s initial wish list when he requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and they have been active in pursuing one.
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“The Miami Heat have been certainly one of the most determined teams to try to acquire Kevin Durant since he asked for that trade,” said Adrian Wojnarowski. “They talked to Brooklyn here in Las Vegas.
“Ultimately, for Miami and Brooklyn to specifically do a deal, they’re going to need a third team, perhaps even a fourth team. There’s really not a one-on-one deal they can do. Bam Adebayo and Ben Simmons can’t be on a roster together based on their contracts, so they’re going to need to be creative around the league to try to find a pathway to a deal.
Between those demands and a limited number of potential suitors, it could prove difficult to move Durant over the summer, and there’s no time pressure to change that because he’s under contract through 2025-26 as part of a four-year, $194.2 million deal.
There is a chance that we could see Durant, Irving, and Simmons on the floor next season.
