After a disastrous season for Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, it looks as though the superstar forward is not being very active in trying to help the team recruit talented free agents.
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant has not been trying to convince fellow NBA players to join him in Brooklyn thus far this offseason.
“In previous offseasons, rival agents and players would tell you of Durant’s eagerness in talking to potential free agents,” Wojnarowski wrote. “So far, that hasn’t been the case with him, sources say. Outside of [Kyrie] Irving, the Nets’ most important free agent is guard Patty Mills, who still hasn’t decided on whether to exercise his $7.2 million player option. Around the Irving drama, the Nets’ environment has made it harder to keep and court role players, sources say.”
Just under a year ago, NBA experts and fans alike were ready to prematurely crown the Nets the 2022 NBA champions. With Durant, Irving and James Harden on the roster, anything seemed possible. What instead took place was a seemingly endless string of drama and distractions that often resembled a soap opera more than it did a functional NBA franchise.
The Nets limped into the playoffs by way of the play-in tournament. Once they hit the playoffs, it became clear just how weak they truly were. They were waxed by the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Now, some rumors have indicated that Irving could be interested in heading to yet another team. That would leave Durant in Brooklyn with a roster that is nowhere near ready to contend for a title.
From Durant’s point of view, this past season must have felt like something of a cruel joke. After struggling mightily with the Nets, he had to watch the team he left a couple years ago, the Golden State Warriors, win another title.
Perhaps Durant is just taking a bit of a breather before he gets back into the swing of things on the NBA front. However, it is also possible that he is souring on the Nets and no longer feels a great sense of responsibility to help the team succeed.
