The trade request that Kevin Durant made to the Brooklyn Nets is one that surprised a lot of people. Kyrie Irving had just opted in to his contract for the 2022-23 NBA season, guaranteeing that the two would remain together for at least one more season.
However, it seems as if Durant had reached his breaking point. After three seasons with the Nets and only one playoff series victory, he was ready to move on and play somewhere else. Given how things have transpired the last few years, it would make sense for him to look for a better opportunity, but a lot of what has occurred, he is directly responsible for.
Durant had a lot of pull within the organization to have moves made. Why else would the Nets sign DeAndre Jordan to a four-year, $40 million deal when he was showing clear signs of slowing down other than because Durant and Irving wanted him?
Kenny Atkinson’s firing was likely at the behest of Durant and Irving as well, as they didn’t want to be coached hard; they wanted to do things their own way. This is the direction Durant and Irving wanted to go in.
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However, some people don’t believe this is a legitimate trade request from Durant. One of those people is Kendrick Perkins, who believes this is all being done as a way to help Irving have some leverage.
Now that needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Perkins’ analysis is hard to take seriously because he said Durant should try and leave the Nets a little over two months ago.
The Brooklyn Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Postseason. Following that loss, Perkins said that Durant should request a trade from the team. Now that he has done that, Perkins has changed his mind and believes it was done only to help Irving have leverage?
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It just doesn’t make much sense. All of Irving’s leverage dissipated when he opted into his contract for the 2022-23 season. He can no longer land the lucrative long-term contract that he was seeking as he has to play out the final season on his contract.
