The Brooklyn Nets endured overwhelming bouts of turmoil last season. Kyrie Irving disqualified himself by not getting the vaccine, James Harden worked his way out after just half a season, and Ben Simmons continued to miss games for reasons that were still unclear to everybody. All the while, the Nets kept dropping games.
The worst of it, though, came in the summer, when Kevin Durant followed up his trade demand with an ultimatum to Nets owner Joe Tsai. In a private meeting, he allegedly asked for the firings of GM Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
“In a face-to-face meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash,” sources tell The Athletic. “Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction,” sources said. “Durant and Tsai spoke in London on Saturday and sources described the discussion as transparent and professional.”
With three years left on his contract, Durant didn’t have enough leverage to sway things his way, and he was forced to return without any of his demands being met.
Some fans might consider that a good thing, but it could make for a pretty awkward situation between Nash and KD, who will have to somehow find a way to work together this season.
Steve Nash Responds To Kevin Durant’s Failed Trade Request
During the Nets’ media day this week, Nash addressed the issue in a chat, seemingly putting the past behind him once and for all.
“Kevin and I go way back. Families go through things like this,” Nash said. “Go through adversity, disagreements, this is not new to the NBA. … it’s a part of the process, it’s the part of working in this business, it’s super competitive. We are all prideful, we all have expectations and when you get dinged up like we did last year, everyone’s disappointed. We cleared the air, we spoke and we’re on the same page. We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to build on.”
Credit to Nash for finding the silver lining here. Instead of taking the opportunity to throw shade on Durant for his antics, Nash showed loyalty and commitment to his players and made sure to support Durant.
It’s a far cry from a successful and healthy player/coach relationship, but it’s certainly a good sign for a Nets team that can’t afford any more division to their roster.
