"It's not that he's pissed off with Kyrie Irving; he's pissed off with the Brooklyn Nets" - Former NBA champion believes Kevin Durant will look to exit Nets this offseason
Kendrick Perkins believes Kevin Durant might want to look for a new home if the Brooklyn Nets don't finalize a deal with Kyrie Irving.
Recent reports have suggested Irving might be heading elsewhere, as talks between his agent and the franchise have hit a standstill. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Nets and Irving are at an impasse regarding his contract extension.
That potentially leaves the door open for Irving to consider the open marketplace, and many franchises could sign him in a jiffy. ESPN analyst and former NBA champion, Perkins believes Durant could demand a trade if the Nets don't hang on to Irving.
Perkins said on ESPN's "First Take":
"It's not that he is pissed off with Kyrie Irving; he's pissed off with the Brooklyn Nets. ... If I'm KD, and the Brooklyn Nets don't get this deal done with Kyrie Irving, and Kyrie Irving leaves the Brooklyn Nets to sign with somebody else like the Lakers and LeBron James, if I'm Kevin Durant, I want out, and I want out fast. I'm getting the h*ll up out of Brooklyn."
"A brother that's probably not happy right now is Kevin Durant. It's not that he's pissed off with Kyrie Irving, he's pissed off with the Brooklyn Nets... If I'm Kevin Durant, I want out fast"
🗣️ Kendrick Perkins
https://t.co/KGerK71lZe
Irving and the Nets reportedly cannot agree on a deal because the Nets are hesitant to offer the player a long-term max deal because of his reliability issues. His lack of work ethic is also well known in the NBA fraternity.
In his three-year tenure with the Nets, he has missed 123 of 226 possible games. In the 103 games he has played, their record is not mind-blowing either, with the Nets winning 58 of those games (56%).
Understandably, the Nets don't want to give Irving a long-term deal and are looking for a two or three-year extension. Irving, though, wants a max deal and isn't ready to settle for a smaller figure.
Kevin Durant's offseason keeps getting worse
Kevin Durant isn't exactly having his best summer so far. He watched his former team, Golden State Warriors, win a title without him, further amplifying the noise that they've been better off without him. Durant has received a lot of trash on social media, suggesting his legacy has been hurt, as the Warriors won the championship.
To exacerbate matters, the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics that swept Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. The Celtics held Durant to 38.6% shooting and 33.3% from the 3-point range. He was abysmal for most of the series as the Nets suffered an early playoff exit.
What's worse is that Steph Curry, the reigning Finals MVP and Durant's former superstar teammate, averaged 31.2 points per game. Curry also shot nearly 44% from beyond the arc against the same defense.
: sprtspod.fox/WarriorsTitleW…"The worst case scenario for KD would've been: gets swept in round 1, doesn't play well and the Warriors win the championship. And that's exactly what happened." — @getnickwright
🎧: sprtspod.fox/WarriorsTitleW… https://t.co/svBYLBPi2Z
To make an already-horrible offseason worse for Durant, his teammate Kyrie Irving might bail on the team.
The Nets and Irving both don't hold any leverage over the other and are in a stalemate regarding contract negotiations. Hence, it's understandable why Durant might be upset with his situation in Brooklyn and would want to demand a trade if Irving leaves.
Perkins, continued on "First Take," saying:
"The Brooklyn Nets better not lose Kyrie Irving. I'm telling you this right now: They better find a way to get the deal done and find a way to keep Kyrie Irving. Because Imma tell you something: A brother that's probably not happy right now is Kevin Durant."
The Brooklyn Nets would be crazy not to give Kyrie an extension!!! He’s still a Top 15 player in the NBA. Carry the hell on…
It remains to be seen how the Irving situation evolves in the next few days.