Reports: Kevin Durant could possibly be targeted again by multiple NBA teams for trade talks
A Kevin Durant trade could be in the works as things continue to implode for the Brooklyn Nets. Trade talks have continued to surround the embattled Nets over the course of the past week. With Ben Simmons battling injuries, Kyrie Irving suspended and the team without a head coach, many have called for the franchise to begin trade talks.
This week on SportsCenter, former OKC Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins called for the team to trade Durant. When Durant joined the Nets, he didn't sign up for the media controversy Kyrie Irving has caused. Perkins believes Durant should be allowed to pursue a championship rather than spend another season hindered by off-court problems.
This presents an interesting dilemma for the Nets front office. On the one hand, the Nets have one of the best scorers the sport has ever seen. On the other, it seems abundantly clear that the team is going nowhere fast. With Durant locked into a four-year contract extension, is the time right for the former MVP to once again join another team?
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the rest of the league is taking note of the controversy in Brooklyn. Lowe stated that he spent all night talking with front offices and agents around the league who are eager to jumpstart Kevin Durant's trade talks:
“I don’t think this is going to be fast. I don’t know that it will ever really happen. But I know that the whole league is ready now to re-engage on Durant.”
The comments came during a recent episode of "The Lowe Post" podcast, which can be seen below. Lowe's comments come shortly after the beginning of the video.
Where do the Nets go from here with Kevin Durant trade talks?
The Nets signed Durant to a four-year contract extension this offseason. Given that, the team may be unwilling to part ways with the former MVP just yet. One potential option for the franchise is to ship Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons while retaining Kevin Durant.
The problem, however, is that given the situation with Irving and Simmons, the Nets may not have many suitors in trade talks. Over the course of the past two seasons, Irving has continued to create controversy both on and off the court. Simmons, on the other hand, hasn't looked like himself since returning from his year-long hiatus.
That leaves a Kevin Durant trade as the next possible move for the Nets. With that said, his contract is a big one that's continuing to increase over the course of the next four seasons. That leaves the Nets stuck between a rock and a hard place if they want to trade Durant.
Durant did, of course, request a trade this offseason. While issuing an ultimatum to the team's front office, he gave them a choice: Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks or him. In the eyes of many, it was a premature move considering he had played just two seasons under Nash.
With the Nets missing Irving and Simmons for the immediate future, only time will tell whether the franchise will look to move Durant.