Kevin Durant Staying With Brooklyn Nets
By Jason Hall
August 23, 2022
Kevin Durant is staying with the Brooklyn Nets weeks after publicly requesting a trade away from the team.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reports Durant and his manager, Rich Kleiman, met with Nets owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks in Los Angeles on Monday (August 22), which resulted in the All-Star forward deciding "to move forward with partnership."
Nets general manager Sean Marks confirmed the meeting and agreement in a statement shared on behalf of the team on Tuesday (August 23).
"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday, We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn," Marks said.
Steve Nash, Joe Tsai and Sean Marks met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles on Monday and have decided to move forward with partnership, Nets say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 23, 2022
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 23, 2022
Earlier this month, Charania reported that Durant reiterated his trade request and gave Nets owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum during a face-to-face meeting over the weekend.
Durant reportedly told Tsai that he doesn't have faith in the Nets' direction and insisted that Tsai "choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks or coach Steve Nash," sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed.
The sources described the meeting between Durant and Tsai -- which took place exactly one year after the All-Star agreed to a four-year, $198 million contract extension -- as "transparent and professional," according to Charania.
Sources: Kevin Durant informed Joe Tsai that he does not have faith in the Nets‘ direction. The meeting was described as transparent and professional, with a clear message: Keep me -- or the GM and coach. https://t.co/W1voNf9MDC https://t.co/0lbBay2OxF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2022
On June 30, Kleiman, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Marks was working with him and Durant on finding a trade for the former NBA regular season and Finals MVP.
Wojnarowski reports that Durant included the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat on his wish list of trade partners, however, specified that the Nets planned to move the perennial All-Star to whatever team offers the best deal.
Durant requested a trade with the team today, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/BkNEHwkrc0
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
In June, Charania reported that Durant was weighing his options and monitoring the Nets' situation regarding point guard Kyrie Irving's future before Irving's player option for 2022-23 was exercised days later.
Sources: Kevin Durant is monitoring the Brooklyn Nets’ situation and considering options with his future.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2022
This now opens the path for Kyrie Irving to proceed on finding a new home via opt-in and trade.
Durant and Irving both signed with the Nets as free agents in 2019, making Brooklyn an immediate favorite to contend for an NBA championship.
However, the Nets have failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals since the duo joined the team, with Irving missing the majority of their first season together due to injuries and the 2021-22 regular season due to New York's COVID restrictions prohibiting him from playing in home games without being vaccinated.
Durant, a 12-time All-Star selection, averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game during the 2021-22 season.