After just three seasons in the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving era, the Brooklyn Nets are now standing on the edge of a total collapse. It all started with Irving, who was trying to secure a max deal from Brooklyn before his name fell into trade rumors. Now, it is Kevin Durant who is under the spotlight after speaking with team owner Joe Tsai earlier this week.
As the Nets look around for potential trade partners, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype set the record straight. Despite what it may seem, the Nets have all the leverage and are willing to wait things out if it means getting a trade package they actually like.
According to rival NBA executives who’ve spoken to the Nets, the asking price remains high for 12-time All-Star Kevin Durant, and is expected to go up following the boatload of draft picks the Timberwolves gave up to acquire Rudy Gobert.
Brooklyn is seeking a combination of the best assets from teams, including any All-Star player(s), rising young players with All-Star potential and substantial unprotected draft picks and pick swaps where applicable.
The Nets plan to wait until they get an offer that accommodates their asking price with Durant’s contract guaranteed over the next four years.
Remember, Durant still has multiple years left on his deal. He cannot directly control where he goes, or if he goes anywhere at all. The Nets have the power to trade him anywhere, and they are right for making the asking price so steep.
The question now is, will any team match the package Brooklyn desires? Very few teams even have enough assets to make a real offer, so it remains to be seen if a team will actually be willing to give up what it would take to acquire the 2x champion.
Either way, the Nets have all the time in the world, and they intend to wait as long as they need to in order to come out of this as winners.
