“I was upset and as a family, they understood that I was upset” – Kevin Durant opens up on his sensitive situation with the Nets, believes it’s still a ‘great option’ to play for the Nets
Kevin Durant sent the NBA community into a frenzy when he asked to be traded during the offseason. The Brooklyn Nets guard has finally commented on the situation, saying he was upset at the time.
It was surprising to see Durant request a trade, especially shortly after his teammate and friend, Kyrie Irving, opted into his player option for the 2022-23 season.
Perhaps even more bizarre, was KD giving Nets owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum. Durant asked Tsai to choose between him and the general manager (Sean Marks) and head coach (Steve Nash).
According to The New York Post's Brian Lewis, Durant said the Nets understood his annoyance at the time but they managed to work through it.
"I was upset and as a family, they understood that I was upset. And some of the stuff they agree with. And so we talked about and it was over a couple of months, couple of weeks…we worked it out from there, and I’m here now."
Kevin Durant: “I was upset and as a family, they understood that I was upset. And some of the stuff they agree with. And so we talked about and it was over a couple of months, couple of weeks…we worked it out from there, and I’m here now.” #nets #nba https://t.co/9BOdRRGg5E
KD has clarified that his decision was not because of the personnel on the team. He stated that one of the reasons he decided to return was because they have a good team and can only get better from here.
"I felt like we had a good team. I felt like this is the place I said I wanted to be. We started to set something up in the future to be a solid team. So to be honest I thought this was still a great option, too.
KD on why he decided to come back after asking for a trade: "I felt like we had a good team. I felt like this is the place I said I wanted to be. We started to set something up in the future to be a solid team. So to be honest I thought this was still a great option, too."
After interactions with several teams, the Nets were no closer to finding a trade partner for KD. Despite the awkwardness, all involved parties came to a resolution.
Kevin Durant has previously left a team when the going got tough
To date, some NBA fans still see KD as one of the biggest betrayers in league history. To many, it is in his nature to jump ship when the going gets tough, so they were not surprised by his trade request.
Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, shortly after they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. What made it a lot more upsetting was that he decided to join the Warriors.
It turned out to be a successful move for KD, as he led them to two consecutive championships against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Given how the Nets 2022 campaign ended, fans believed he was going to jump ship again. The Nets were embarrassed in the playoffs as the Boston Celtics swept them in the first round.
Ironically, Durant was heavily linked to the Celtics. Several trade rumors stated that the Nets were interested in completing a deal that included Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and a few picks.
The Nets are currently one of the favorites to win the title. Ben Simmons' presence will make a world of difference for the team, especially on the defensive end of the floor.