Kevin Durant Requests Trade From Nets: Report

Boston Celtics v Brooklyn Nets - Game Four

Photo: Getty Images

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has reportedly requested a trade, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday (June 30).

Durant's business manager, Rich Kleiman, told Wojnarowski that Nets general manager Sean Marks is currently working with him and Durant on finding a trade for the former NBA regular season and Finals MVP.

Wojnarowski reports that Durant included the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat on his wish list of trade partners, however, the Nets plan to move the perennial All-Star to whatever team offers the best deal.

Last week, sources told the Athletic's Shams Charania that Durant was weighing his options and monitoring the Nets' situation regarding point guard Kyrie Irving's future before Irving's player option for 2022-23 was exercised days later.

Durant and Irving both signed with the Nets as free agents in 2019, making Brooklyn an immediate favorite to contend for an NBA championship.

However, the Nets have failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals since the duo joined the team, with Irving missing the majority of their first season together due to injuries and the 2021-22 regular season due to New York's COVID restrictions prohibiting him from playing in home games without being vaccinated.

ESPN's Nick Friedell reported on SportsCenter that he's "been told that" Durant and Irving aren't as close as most believe.

“At every turn publicly, [Kevin Durant] has been there to support [Kyrie Irving], to say we need Kyrie, to say Kyrie can win a title with me here in Brooklyn. But I can tell you, I’ve been talking to people in the organization the last couple of weeks, when they finally sit down and talk to Kevin throughout the summer, they are trying to figure out if Kevin saw what everybody else saw," Friedell said via SBNation. "The reason that whole season got sidetracked was because they couldn’t count on Kyrie, and they didn’t know if he was going to be out there. And the issue with Kevin is, he wants to win badly, he wants to be loyal to his friend. But I’ve been told that relationship, while very close, isn’t always as close as it appears to be.”

Durant, a 12-time All-Star selection, averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game during the 2021-22 season.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content