Superstar forward Kevin Durant reportedly doesn’t want to be part of the Brooklyn Nets anymore. The two-time NBA Finals MVP made a formal trade request on Thursday, and the Nets are expected to honor it. It is believed that Durant expressed his desire to leave to Nets’ owner Joe Tsai directly.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Brooklyn’s general manager Sean Marks is working together with the player and his business manager Rich Kleiman to find the best deal for both sides. Durant put the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat as his preferred destinations, but there is no guarantee he will end there.
Since Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause, the Nets can send him to the team that will give them the best trade value. Reportedly, Marks is taking that approach and expects a monster haul of players and draft assets in order to part with the 12-time All-Star. And since Durant is one of the best players in basketball, not to mention under contract for four more years, he will most likely get it.
Kevin Durant joined the Nets in 2019 in a sign-and-trade deal from the Golden State Warriors. He missed the entire 2019-20 campaign recovering from an Achilles tendon injury before returning to his All-Star form in the following two seasons.
While Durant continued to impress on an individual level, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and career-high 6.4 assists this past season, the Nets failed to make significant noise in the playoffs. Brooklyn lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Conference Semifinals in 2020-21 and was eliminated in the first round in 2021-22.
