“Will he sit and hold out similarly to the way Ben Simmons handled it? Does he go the Jimmy Butler route?” - NBA insider on the prospect of Kevin Durant missing training camp
Shams Charania questioned whether Kevin Durant will handle his desire to leave the Brooklyn Nets like Ben Simmons did or how Jimmy Butler did.
“If there is no deal, does Kevin Durant show up to training camp or will he sit and hold out, you know, similarly to the way Ben Simmons handled it?" Charania said. "Does he go the Jimmy Butler route?”
Simmons held out until the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Nets at the trade deadline in February.
Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018, while informing the team that he would not re-sign with them in 2019. He played 10 games for Minnesota before being traded to Philadelphia in November 2018. He arrived with the Miami Heat, his current team, in a sign-and-trade in July 2019.
Also Checkout:- Jimmy Butler Net Worth (Updated 2022)
Will Kevin Durant miss training camp?
Kevin Durant on Monday reportedly told the Brooklyn Nets that they need to choose between him or their general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash.
Team owner Joe Tsai, however, tweeted his support for the team's front office and coaching staff later Monday, basically telling Durant no.
As a result, NBA insider Shams Charania questioned whether Durant would show up to Nets training camp or not.
Holding out like Ben Simmons did would be a bold move, but would put more pressure on the Nets. That might force them to cut Durant’s trade value.
"The Boston Celtics are a leading team for Kevin Durant when you look at the pieces that they have" ~@ShamsCharania
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Brooklyn is in a tough position. Do they hold onto an unhappy player with a very large asking price or do they cut ties before the training camp gamble?
The possibility likely sets the Nets up for failure. The league is patiently waiting for Durant to possibly not show and have his trade value drop soon after.
In any case, it looks like Brooklyn may have to drop its asking price.
It's not like Durant is not worth what the Nets are asking for, as he is one of the most lethal shooters the game has ever seen. But the teams with the assets to trade have worked towards getting where they are and do not want to gamble.
The Nets had a solid, young core prior to gutting that contingent for Durant and Kyrie Irving. The squad was developing and learning well together, then Brooklyn got flipped upside down, and KD and Kyrie offered almost nothing to the city.
There were no deep championship runs, few games together across three seasons and chemistry difficulties everywhere.
Accordingly, teams may not want to risk ripping themselves apart for a player who is unquestionably great, but has yet to prove himself a leader.
Durant also still needs a desirable squad. A team stripping themselves down to get KD is not what he wants. He is seeking a destination that is already built to contend for a title.