The trade request that Kevin Durant made to the Brooklyn Nets is one that surprised a lot of people. It came after Kyrie Irving opted into his contract, ensuring that the duo would have at least one more NBA season playing with each other. But that has not deterred him in his mission to be traded to a new team.

Since he first requested the trade, some details have come to the forefront that makes it even more unbelievable that Durant requested a trade at all. One of those things is the fact that he is receiving massive advanced pay from the Nets.

According to Marc Stein on his Substack, Durant received the first one on July 1st, days after the request was made. He has a second one coming in a few weeks as well.

On June 30, Kevin Durant formally asked the Brooklyn Nets to trade him. On July 1, league sources say Durant was owed and received an eight-figure check from the Nets — one of two massive advance payments that the disgruntled superstar is scheduled to collect from Brooklyn by Oct. 1 while he’s also in the midst of lobbying the team to move him. If it wasn’t sufficiently audacious that Durant is demanding a trade before playing a single game under the four-year, $194 million contract extension he signed in August 2021, there’s even more to consider.

Requesting a trade knowing he had not one, but two substantial payments coming his way is certainly eyebrow-raising. What makes it even more peculiar is that Durant took his request to another level recently, giving the Nets an ultimatum.

Durant told ownership in a meeting that he would consider staying with the team but that they had to fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash. That level of calling the shots is not something Brooklyn should even consider, making a trade even more likely.

However, if Durant thought that would speed the process up, it will likely do the opposite. The Nets were already struggling to receive proposals that met their asking price and his ultimatum isn’t going to make things any easier. These advanced payments are yet another wrinkle to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as the Nets look for a new home to send Durant to.

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