Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has asked for a change from the team, according to his business manager Rich Kleiman. Nets general manager Sean Marx is working with Durant and Kleiman to find a deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant reportedly has the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat as their favorite destinations, but there will no doubt be a shortage of teams looking to make the best deal to get the services of the 12-time All-Star. Durant does not have a trade ban clause in his contract, so Brooklyn can trade it with any team that will give them the best value.
The news comes after concerns were raised about Brooklyn’s future with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Following the news earlier this week that Irving may no longer want to be in Brooklyn if the team does not intend to offer him a long-term extension, rumors have surfaced that Durant would also like to leave. However, Irving recently chose his $ 37 million player option for next season, suggesting that he and Durant will remain with the Nets at least for the 2022-23 season.
But Voynarovsky reports that neither Irving nor Durant had any contact with the Nets’ front office after Irving chose his player option, suggesting that Durant would eventually ask for an exchange.
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This is a whirlwind trip for a team from the Nets, which was considered a favorite in the championship last season. But a request for trading from James Harden – which attracted Nets Ben Simmons from the 76ers – an injury to Durant and Irving’s MCL, who are unable to play for most of the season due to his unvaccinated status, completely shattered those aspirations. As a result, the Nets were swept away in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics with completely healthy Durant and Irving. Durant’s desire to ask for a trade suggests that he may end the tumultuous nature of the Nets franchise since joining the team in 2019.
Durant’s four-year $ 198 million contract extension, which he signed last summer, doesn’t start until the 2022-23 season, so he’ll take a huge offer from opposing teams to attract him. But with the launch of the free agency, each team will call the Nets to try to put together a package worth Durant’s talents.
As for the Nets, this is a difficult situation for a team that at one point had all three Durant, Irving and Harden and was the most numerous team in the paper league. This wealth of talent has never reached its potential, as injuries and vaccination statuses have hampered their championship journey.
Durant’s return can set the Nets well for the future with the potential to get a few first-round picks and perhaps a young, cornerstone player to develop. They could also replace Irving now that he has chosen his player option, giving them more assets to work with.
Durant’s development has simply made everything much more intriguing, as surely every team in the league will now try to turn around and make a deal for one of the best players in the league.
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