The ongoing saga with Kevin Durant wanting to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets seems to have been going on for a long time, even though we are still under 2 months removed from his initial trade request. So many teams have popped up and gone by in that time as possible contenders to trade for Durant, even though the movement has been minimal.
KD’s trade request came out of the blue, considering he was signed up to the team for 4 more years. The week prior, the Nets dealt with the issue of not coming to terms with Kyrie Irving on a contract extension, which many believe was the genesis for KD’s dissatisfaction.
Trusted NBA insider Chris Haynes has delved deeper into the possible root behind KD’s dissatisfaction in Brooklyn.
“That’s where the lack of trust began to seep in”@ChrisBHaynes tells @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 why he thinks Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are at odds. pic.twitter.com/IAVMyQ7rl7
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 23, 2022
“I believe KD felt like a promise was broken. Somewhere along the line, I think KD felt like a promise was broken. He was the first one that committed to the team long-term, he did the 4-year extension. Somewhere along the way, something happened where he felt like a promise was broken. That’s where the lack of trust began to sink in. I don’t know if that pertains to Kyrie as a promise being broken, I don’t know if that pertains to James Harden. Somewhere along the way, trust was broken,”
Out of all possible theories, this is the most plausible behind KD’s sudden dissatisfaction with the Nets. They took a step backward last season by trading James Harden, even though they could have kept him for the season and seen the playoffs out, which opens the possibility of the big 3 playing against Boston or not even falling into the play-in tournament.
Nets’ willingness to not offer a player like Kyrie a full max contract extension also could be the problem, as the team is willingly getting themselves in a position to lose their core around KD. Either way, he signed on the dotted line already, something he’s probably wishing he hadn’t done and tested free agency this summer.
