What did the Nets have to say about Kevin Durant’s status?
It’s been a long summer for the Nets, but with Kyrie Irving set to stay and now the former league MVP as well, it would appear things are looking up in Brooklyn.
From a trade request, to a rather bold ultimatum which he recently gave the Nets’ front office, it would now appear that the trade saga involving the franchise’s star is over.
Kevin Durant set to stay with the Nets
A lot has happened since Kevin Durant issued his trade request to the Brooklyn Nets. In that time, we’ve seen a cryptic post on his social media about his work ethic, his teammate and friend Kyrie Irving in the middle of trade drama as well, a ‘them or me’ ultimatum concerning head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks and finally franchise owner Joe Tsai making it clear that in any such debate, he’d go with the front office. This brings us to the present where both sides have apparently made the decision to “move forward” together.
In a statement released by the Nets, the situation now seems to be that Durant, Marks, Nash and the franchise itself have buried the hatchet and are looking to become a championship contender. Indeed, the statement even made reference to Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman, which would seem to suggest that from a contractual point of view as well, everything is right as rain once again in Brooklyn’s camp. Interestingly, the news comes on the heels of the Nets declaring their intention to keep the aforementioned Kyrie Irving.
Is this the start of something big for the Nets?
From Kyrie Irving’s covid-19 vaccine standoff, to Ben Simmons controversial arrival and subsequent inability to play due to a back injury, the Nets have been a team with a host of issues on their hands over the last season. That of course, is before we even mention the drama that ensued when Kevin Durant announced that he wanted to play elsewhere. Yet, some months later here we are. Both of their major stars are now set to stay, Ben Simmons is on the mend and will be looking to make his Nets debut and it would appear everybody involved is happy about it. Are we finally about to see the Nets fulfill the promise they clearly have? That’s the million-dollar question. Probably best to watch this space for the answer.