No superstar has made as many headlines this offseason as Kevin Durant. He was supposed to be the man to improve his legacy by bringing a championship to the Nets, instead, he’s trying to quit after winning just one playoff series. He’s also burning some bridges on his way out, trying to get GM Sean Marks and Steve Nash possibly fired from their jobs.
After his initial trade request, there was a flurry of rumors about potential trades, all of which had quieted down in recent times. However, his ultimatum to Joe Tsai seems to have renewed these. There now seems almost no chance that Durant can remain a Net next season, especially after Tsai sided with Marks and Nash over him.
The situation seems to have tipped the former MVP over the edge, too, his love for basketball may not be enough to get him back to start the season should the Nets choose to not trade him. And Shams Charania explained on the Pat McAfee Show that Durant has mentally checked out of Brooklyn.
(starts at 1:52 minutes):
"It's clear that Kevin Durant has checked out of Brooklyn.. Joe Tsai made it clear that he's siding with Sean Marks & Steve Nash" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/fzzGqMU6bv
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 9, 2022
“These are two individuals (Sean Marks and Steve Nash) that there’s a level of displeasure towards, that there might even be a level, like, get these guys out of there. But to actually make that direct ultimatum, that was not something that happened before this weekend. And I think once that happened, it’s clear that mentally, emotionally, like he’s checked out like he’s not there in Brooklyn. And so, that’s what I think has created all of this.”
If this is indeed true, and no reconciliation is possible, it will only serve to drive Durant’s value down even lower. The Nets are not willing to lose him for peanuts, though, and it might lead to this saga getting quite stretched out. One way or another, this offseason is certainly not lacking in entertainment value.
