Kevin Durant gave the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum. He wants to be traded ASAP and even put together a list of preferred destinations, even despite the fact that he still has four years left on his contract.
Simply put, the Nets are in no obligation to comply with KD's demands. They don't owe him anything, and they should only consider moving him if another team is willing to meet their asking price.
That's why ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes Durant isn't going anywhere. If anything, he'll just have to suck it up and deal with it, as they're not going to fire coach Steve Nash or GM Sean Marks either.
Stephen A. Smith Explains Why The Nets Won't Trade Kevin Durant
(Transcript via Fadeaway World)
"I'm Joe Tsai. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. I got all these cats in tow and I got news for you: Milwaukee should be the favorite in the East, but is anybody prepared to definitively say that if Kyrie, KD, and Ben Simmons play together healthy all-in from the beginning of the season, are we definitively ready to say that they can't beat anybody? We know that they can win it all. If you're Joe Tsai, this is your position. To hell with all that, you ain't going nowhere. Next summer, I will take care of you. I will take care of you and move you wherever you want to go. But you gonna give me this year. I got you four years! Everything that he wanted they gave him everything, everything. The point is you are not going anywhere."
The Nets still have a team that's good enough to be a contender. Durant could choose to hold out, so they may withhold his payment, and that's it. Eventually, a team owner will take a stand and force the players to honor their contracts.
