Kevin Durant trade sweepstakes could get hot again, 'whole league' ready to 'reengage' in talks: report
Durant requested trade in summer but decided to stay put
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Over the summer, Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
At the time, he gave owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum: trade him or fire then-head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.
At the end of all the drama, Durant stayed put, and Nash lasted just seven games this season before he and the Nets "parted ways."
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Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena Nov. 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Aside from the on-court struggles, the Nets have found themselves in hot water recently with Kyrie Irving's latest controversy that began when he tweeted a link to a film filled with antisemitic disinformation. Irving did not apologize until after the team had suspended him for at least five games.
With all the headlines surrounding Brooklyn, Kevin Durant could very well soon be on the trade block again.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The next domino … is Durant," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his podcast. "The vultures are gonna circle on Durant. Those vultures expect the Nets to put on a strong face for a while, to not rush it, to posture probably, honestly, [say] that, ‘No, he has four years left on his contract. We control his situation, we’re trying to win, we don’t want to do this …’
"I don’t think this is gonna be fast. I don’t know that it will really ever happen, but I know that the whole league is ready now to reengage on Durant."
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) talks to coach Steve Nash during the first half of the team's game against the Indiana Pacers Oct. 29, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Durant requested the trade over the summer because he had concerns with the team's "uncertainties"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As the season went on you seen what happened with our season," Durant told reporters in September. "Guys in and out of the lineup, injuries, just a lot of uncertainties that built some doubt about the next four years of my career. I’m getting older, and I want to be in a place that’s stable and trying to build a championship culture. I had some doubts about that, and I voiced them to [Tsai] and we moved forward from there …
KEVIN DURANT TALKS ROCKY NETS OFFSEASON, CONCERNS HE SHARED WITH TEAM OWNER
"I’ve had plenty of talks with Steve and Sean throughout the season and what we needed to change as an organization. They know me, they know how much I care about our teammates and wanting to win. We all jumped on the same page. We are all professionals. We know how to adapt and move forward."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving (11) talks to Kevin Durant (7) during Game 4 of the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs April 25, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Durant is in the first year of a four-year, $198 million extension he inked in August 2021.
The Nets improved to 3-6 on the year with Friday's 128-86 win over the Washington Wizards. Durant was a rebound away from a triple-double and showed off a deadly crossover move that went viral.