Kevin Durantās trade request was a massive blow for the Brooklyn Nets. They had made him one of the highest-paid stars in the NBA and had caved into nearly every single one of his demands.
Durantās tenure with the team has been stained with off-court issues, mostly unrelated to him. But the Wariorsā championship run and all the drama and uncertainty reportedly made him frustrated and ready to move on.
However, itās not like the Nets are forced to comply withhis trade request. He still has four years left in his contract and could be obliged to run the remainder of his deal out. Thatās why they still hope heās back in Brooklyn next season.
NBA Rumors: Brooklyn Nets Still Hope Kevin Durant Will Be Back Next Season
āCertainly the Nets at this point, theyāre engaged on a number of fronts for Kevin Durant deals,ā said ESPNās Adrian Wojnarowski. āA player of this stature typically donāt come together quickly. Sean Marks is in close contact with Kevin Durantās manager Rich Kleiman. They have a good working relationship.ā
Nets Are In No Rush Or Obligation To Make A Deal
Moreover, Brian Windhorst of ESPN adds that the Nets are in no rush or obligation whatsoever to make a deal. They donāt have to set a deadline to move him and wonāt engage in trade talks in a position of disadvantage:
āFrom what I can tell, there was an attempt by the Nets to make it clear that there was not going to be an artificial deadline here,ā Windhorst said. āEverything you hear is a negotiating position that they are taking. I am told that the Nets are prioritizing getting players back in this deal. They want the prime assets in this trade to be a star player or a high-level star player that theyāre not focusing on draft picks, though Iām sure they want draft picks, too.ā
A trade for such a renowned player with so many years left on his contract should come with an unprecedented return. So props to the Nets for holding their ground and doing whatās best for them and not for their disgruntled All-Star.
