The most popular topic of discussion over the last few weeks in the basketball world is what will the Brooklyn Nets do with Kevin Durant. Following his trade request, things around the NBA have essentially been paused as teams await to see what will come next.
The Nets are looking for a massive haul in return for Durant, seeking a blue-chip All-Star player along with rotational pieces and draft picks. That is an asking price that no one has been willing to meet yet, which has brought the sides to an impasse.
Hoping to force the Nets’ hand, Durant offered an ultimatum at a meeting with team personnel last week. He let the franchise know that it is either him or general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
Durant has no interest in returning to Brooklyn as long as those two hold their positions. It would be hard to imagine the Nets firing both Marks and Nash to appease Durant, especially since he was part of the process to bring Nash in the first place.
If there is no compromise found in that regard, what could be next? According to Marc Stein on his Substack, sources have indicated that Durant could decide to retire if the Nets do not trade him in the coming weeks.
“During summer league in Las Vegas, one of the most well-connected team executives I speak to regularly insisted to me that, based on what he was hearing, Kevin Durant was more apt to retire than play again for the Brooklyn Nets. This was in early July.
I told the tipster that I simply couldn’t believe that. I was a loyal subscriber to the theory that Durant The Hooper loves playing basketball way too much to adopt such a stance.
Now? More than a month later? Attaching the R-word to Durant still comes across as serious hyperbole, but it is certainly getting easier to envision him refusing to report to training camp when the Nets get back together in six weeks for Media Day (Sept. 26) and their first practices of the new season (Sept. 27).”
Injuries have piled up a bit in recent seasons, as he missed the entire 2019-20 campaign and has played in only 90 games since. Alas, it would still be a bold move and shocking for Durant to retire. Even going on 34 years old he remains one of the best players in the NBA.
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Last season he averaged 29.9 points per game, his most since the 2013-14 season when he won the scoring title with 32 points per game playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. That performance followed up his MVP season.
A holdout is certainly possible, as players will go to great lengths to get what they want. Brooklyn has been holding firm in their asking price for Durant, but something will give eventually. This will be a distraction for as long as it goes on and finding a resolution sooner than later is best for everyone involved.
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