"I'm surprised that 29 teams aren't on the phone trying to acquire Kevin Durant" - Mark Jackson believes Nets need to convince KD to stay if they have championship aspirations
Kevin Durant requested a trade out of the Brooklyn Nets four weeks ago, causing even more drama on the team. While most fans believed that the drama ended with Kyrie Irving opting into his contract, Durant started another episode of it.
Throughout the summer so far, the two-time NBA champion has been linked to numerous teams, including the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.
The Boston Celtics emerged as another suitor for Durant as they reportedly offered a trade package centered around Jaylen Brown. Mark Jackson, the former NBA coach and player, believes that all teams should be trying to acquire the 2013-14 MVP this offseason.
"I'm surprised that 29 teams aren't on the phone trying to acquire Kevin Durant," Jackson said. "When you talk about acquiring an all-time great basketball player, he immediately takes any team and puts them in a championship discussion."
Jackson's comments made a lot of sense since the four-time scoring champion is a generational talent. However, trading for him comes with downsides, too.
Brooklyn Nets should try to keep Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has played in the league for 15 years, and he's established himself as one of the best scorers of all time. He's a lethal three-level scorer who can catch fire at any moment and help his team win.
Despite teaming with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on the Golden State Warriors, Durant was the team's best player and won two Finals MVP awards.
.@MarkJackson13 weighs in on KD trade talks 👀
"I'm surprised that 29 teams aren't on the phone trying to acquire Kevin Durant!" https://t.co/LZBJBwOcpt
Mark Jackson, who used to coach the Warriors, believes the Brooklyn Nets should try to keep their superstar.
"If I'm the Nets, I'm trying to sit down with Kevin Durant and saying, 'How can we make this right?'" Jackson said. "You win in this league with talent, and Kevin Durant is unquestionably an incredible all-time great talent."
The Nets haven't achieved a lot of success with Durant, but the truth is that they haven't had an opportunity to achieve anything big.
In three years in Brooklyn, KD has appeared in only 90 games, which is simply not enough time to show what he's got. If he gets another shot, the Nets may have a deep playoff run.
Durant may stay in Brooklyn
Whether they like it or not, Brooklyn may keep the 12-time All-Star on its roster for next season. The Nets are trying to get the best deal possible for Durant, and if they don't get a good trade package, they will keep the superstar.
The fact that they declined the Celtics' package with Jaylen Brown shows how much they are asking for. Brooklyn reportedly wants teams to include first-round draft picks and star players, which may be too much.
The Boston Celtics have emerged as a serious possibility as a landing spot for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania
“They have tremendous interest in bringing him in and view him as a piece that could take them over that final hurdle.” https://t.co/4A5LPha4wX
The 6-foot-10 forward has four more years left on his contract, which makes him a very valuable asset. However, there is no guarantee that he would stay with his new team for the remainder of the contract, which makes the situation very tricky.