Earlier this offseason, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade from the team. Though the news offered some needed excitement during a pretty quiet time, the results have been pretty tame.
At the moment, Durant remains on the Nets roster, and there are no major signs that a deal will happen anytime soon. According to a recent report, talks involving the two-time champion have “slowed to a trickle,” and the Nets don’t seem all that interested in finding a trade partner.
"The trade talks involving Kevin Durant have slowed to a trickle. They are not aggressively, I am told, making the outgoing calls."
— Brian Windhorst#NBATwitter #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/rINc9UcnJu
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) July 20, 2022
Based on the report, it seems the Nets front office might be hoping the two sides can reconcile their relationship. It’s unclear how realistic that actually is, but it would certainly make things easier for the franchise.
Despite the fact that he is getting up there in age, Durant is still one of the most dangerous players in the entire league. Last season, he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. He averaged 51.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line.
To make matters more complicated for the Nets, the Los Angeles Lakers have been working hard to try to get a deal done involving Kyrie Irving. The Nets have reportedly been fairly resistant to the Lakers’ offers as of late.
The Nets entered the 2021-22 NBA season expecting to win a title. What occurred instead was a highly disappointing regular season and first-round exit in the playoffs.
If Durant ends up getting traded, the Nets will likely have to begin a full rebuild. For that reason alone, it makes sense why the front office may be dragging its feet to get a deal done.