The Kevin Durant trade saga has swarmed the NBA community for the last 24 hours. While everything looked set for the Nets after Kyrie Irving opted to continue with the team, Durant’s decision to request a trade was pretty much unexpected.
But the team certainly hasn’t had the desired results in Durant’s time in Brooklyn. Initially, the young core of the Nets impressed many and even made it to the playoffs despite missing Kyrie and KD. While the first appearance of Irving and Durant wasn’t the smoothest, they showcased incredible firepower leading many fans to believe that the Nets were destined for greatness.
Injuries and misfortune followed, though, as Brooklyn, who had added James Harden as well, came mighty close to defeating the 2021 NBA champions, Milwaukee Bucks. There was hope for the 2021-22 season. Given how close they came, many thought that the Nets would finally figure out how their team functions, but last season was nothing short of a disaster, an absolute catastrophe.
Not only have the Nets never been able to meet expectations, but their best player has now handed over a trade request. Former champion Richard Jefferson had his say on the whole situation and claimed Durant’s trade request was eerily similar to that of Kobe Bryant’s 2007 trade request.
“It reminds me of when Kobe Bryant asked for a trade,”… Jefferson added, “He wanted to get traded, and there was a lot of conversation about Chicago. And then [the Lakers] were like, ‘Well, this is our asking price for Kobe Bryant in his prime.”
“Chicago, they were gonna take everything that they can, and Kobe was like, ‘Nah, I’m good, because if I go there, there’s not gonna be anything to play with.’ … Kevin Durant, he’ll be better off staying in Brooklyn if he’s gonna go to a team with no other superstar, no potential All-Star, no other talent.”
The Nets’ asking price for a player like Kevin Durant will be massive. While contender teams might have the stars in their ranks, they will have to trade some of them if they really want to bring in Durant.
If a non-contender like Sacramento Kings ends up approaching the Nets with the necessary assets, Durant should be careful of not ending up in a possible scenario that Kobe would have found himself in if he would have been traded to the Bulls in 2007. Which team will Kevin Durant end up in?
