"He's basically threatening one of the wealthier people in the world" - NBA insider claims not much has changed in the Kevin Durant-Brooklyn Nets situation since day 1
After requesting a trade on June 30th, Kevin Durant remains a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Despite multiple teams inquiring about the two-time Finals MVP, nobody has come close to meeting the king's ransom Sean Marks is looking for.
A new Western Conference contender is expressing interest in Kevin Durant – fresh Inside Pass at @TheAthletic breaking down the latest on the Nets star:
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By far the biggest issue in a deal not getting done is Kevin Durant's contract situation. Along with being one of the top players in the league, he is signed through the next four seasons with no opt-outs. Due to these factors, the Nets are looking to get a historic return on the deal.
After taking most of the offseason off, NBA insider Bill Simmons put out a new episode of his "The Bill Simmons Podcast." In the episode, he gives his thoughts on the Durant saga as it's almost at the two-month mark since the initial request. From Simmons' perspective, he feels nothing has changed since the saga began.
"Everyone's trying to get Kevin Durant's stories going. It feels like that story was the exact same place when I left five weeks ago."
"I don't really know it's changed other than there was some weird ultimatum where he's basically threatening one of the wealthier people in the world."
Are we any closer to a Kevin Durant trade compared to two months ago?
Given how things have unfolded thus far, it's hard to disagree with what Bill Simmons said regarding the Kevin Durant trade saga. Since the news first emerged, there have been few developments of actual substance.
The Atlanta Hawks offered John Collins, De’Andre Hunter and a draft pick for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania https://t.co/fBgZIfOyJ0
The only major storyline that's been brought up is when Durant went to the ownership. He then forced them to choose between him or head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks. As expected, Joe Tsai sided with his upper management.
As far as the potential deal trade goes, the only report of a team coming close involves the Boston Celtics. Following their trip to the NBA Finals, they made a call for Durant and offered All-Star Jaylen Brown along with other assets. While Brooklyn declined the offer, it gave some insight as to how high they have set the bar.
One factor that plays a part in nothing coming about with Durant is the current trade market. Earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves sent out a massive haul of players and picks to acquire All-Star center Rudy Gobert. With Durant being a higher tier of player, suitors could be waiting for things to cool off and Brooklyn to lower its asking price.
With the start of training camp just around the corner, it's almost safe to say that the stalemate between Durant and the Nets will be trickling into the regular season.