When Kevin Durant gave the Nets an ultimatum, it looked like he had sealed his fate in Brooklyn. Far from giving in to his alleged demand of firing both GM Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, team owner Joe Tsai sided with them.
Trade talks continued to be slow even after that situation, though. With Durant under contract until 2026, the Nets have no urgency to move him unless they receive an offer they cannot refuse, something that has yet to happen.
Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia were linked with Durant but none of them have been able to meet Brooklyn's high demands. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Nets like the team they have and therefore want Durant to consider continue being part of it.
Rumor: Nets Still Want Kevin Durant To Consider Coming Back
"What's kind of developed over those forty-seven days is that we now have two different negotiations," Windhorst said on NBA Today Tuesday Afternoon, via Fadeaway World.
"One of course is with all of those teams interested in Kevin Durant. We just haven't seen significant traction in any of those deals. The Nets' asking price is very high and their leverage for getting those teams in offering so much just hasn't materialized. The other negotiation that is now developing is between Durant and the Nets about what it would look like for him to come back. That's a big part of the discussions he had with owner Joe Tsai in London.
"Joe Tsai and the Nets believe they have a really good team. They don't believe they have a good trade for Kevin Durant and they want him to consider coming back. But Durant has very clearly made it known that he doesn’t want to play for the Nets under the current situation–with the current coach and the current GM. So you have to ask yourself, what is the avenue, what is the path for Kevin Durant to move forward with the Nets."
Durant has made it loud and clear he doesn't want to spend another season in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, this is not entirely up to him, as he is under contract with the Nets through 2026. So, unless the Nets find a satisfying offer to let him go, he may have to reconsider.
