In a one-on-one meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he had to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash. , sources tell The Athletic.
Durant claimed he has no faith in the team’s leadership, sources said.
Durant and Tsai spoke in London on Saturday, and sources described the discussion as transparent and professional. The meeting came one year to the day when Durant agreed to a four-year, $198 million contract extension with the Nets and barely more than a month after his initial trade request on June 30 Now he enters the first season of this extension.
The Nets have direct knowledge of the reasons for Durant’s request, the sources said, and understand the 12-time All-Star will remain firm in his stance. Durant is believed to want a change of scenery heading into his 16th season.
GO FURTHER
Kevin Durant trade rumors explained: Where could he go and why?
Around the league, people have wondered if Durant could miss training camp if no trade takes place.
After being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Nets have found themselves surrounded by uncertainty. In a press conference in mid-May, Marks called for the organization to reclaim its culture. Amid Durant’s unknown status, Kyrie Irving and the Nets couldn’t come to a long-term deal. Ultimately, Irving picked up his $36.5 million player option for next season, committing to Brooklyn for the 2022-23 season.
This summer, the Nets believe they have improved their roster and have a championship-ready team. The Nets traded for Royce O’Neale, signed TJ Warren and brought back Patty Mills and Nic Claxton while awaiting the full returns of three-time All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joe Harris. Brooklyn’s front office, led by Marks, has put a high price on Durant’s market while building a team that gives the organization confidence in its ability to contend if the team takes the roster, as it is, to the field. training
The Nets are incredibly high on Simmons’ return to action following his recovery from back surgery in May, and see him as a perfect complement around Durant and Irving.
After Durant’s June 30 trade request, the Nets held talks with nearly every team in the league, according to sources. But because the Nets have set such a high bar for the return the franchise wants for Durant — a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, former league MVP and 12-time All-Star — teams they haven’t been yet. able to meet the asking price.
The Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain the top contenders to acquire Durant, sources said, with Boston’s package centered on All-Star forward Jaylen Brown seen as a viable deal. Tsai and the Nets have made it clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades Durant, the sources said.
GO FURTHER
Is a Kevin Durant trade to the Celtics a realistic possibility? Roundtable
He has reached out to Boston coach Ime Udoka in recent years after Udoka spent a year with Durant as an assistant in Brooklyn and later with Team USA for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
(Photo: Winslow Townson / USA Today)