Frank Isola: ‘I would think at this time next year, Kevin Durant will not be on the Brooklyn Nets’

Despite the fact that Kevin Durant no longer is asking to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets, one NBA insider believes that he’ll be with another team at some point in the next year.

Frank Isola, co-host of “The Starting Lineup,” didn’t offer a timeline for Durant’s potential departure, but believes that a move is inevitable.

“I would think at this time next year, Kevin Durant will not be on the Brooklyn Nets,” Isola said.

Earlier this offseason, Durant indicated that he wanted to be traded from the Nets, which led to countless teams starting inquiries about acquiring him.

The Nets originally signed Durant as a free agent in 2019 despite the fact that he was seriously injured at the time. The superstar ended up missing the entire disrupted 2019-20 campaign before finally taking the court for the Nets in December 2020.

Trouble in Paradise

Two consecutive years of frustrating postseason losses for the Nets and controversy surrounding guard Kyrie Irving then helped create turmoil in the Nets organization. In addition, an experiment involving the acquisition of guard James Harden failed when he was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this year.

Despite the enthusiasm of other teams to trade for Durant, the Nets’ asking price was apparently too steep for any team to meet.

Still Producing

Durant will turn 34 on Sept. 29 and has only played in 90 regular season games during the past three seasons. Still, when he’s on the court, he delivers a high level of all-around production.

Last season, Durant played in 55 games during the regular season and averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

Reality Check

While Durant plans on playing for the Nets this season, his decision is simply an awareness of the current situation. Durant might still want out and could possibly push again for a trade at some point.

The Nets are in no rush to trade Durant and currently have him under contract through the 2025-26 season. He could conceivably stop playing if he’s truly adamant about the issue.

However, that would mean passing up on a lucrative contract extension that he signed last year. For now, Durant will simply focus on playing and helping the Nets in the upcoming season.