Kevin Durant Reportedly Gives Nets an Ultimatum
To keep either head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks or him.
According to a report from The Athletic insider Shams Charania, Kevin Durant met with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai in London over the weekend, reiterating his desire to be traded before the 2022-23 season begins. Adding to the lengthy pre-season saga which saw Kyrie Irving exercising his $36.9 million USD option to remain with the Nets earlier last month, Durant is now reportedly voicing his dissatisfaction with head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, giving Tsai the ultimatum of either firing the duo or trading him.
Addressing the rumors, Tsai issued a statement on Twitter saying, “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
While Durant is said to be “resolute” about his requests, trading him has been difficult, with few teams able to put together a package up to the Nets’ standard for the two-time NBA Finals MVP. It’s currently being reported that the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat are the most significant candidates.
Look for more details to emerge in the coming weeks.
Sources: Kevin Durant informed Joe Tsai that he does not have faith in the Nets‘ direction. The meeting was described as transparent and professional, with a clear message: Keep me — or the GM and coach. https://t.co/W1voNf9MDC https://t.co/0lbBay2OxF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2022
Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.
— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022
In other news, Israel Adesanya is set to defend Middleweight title against Alex Pereira at UFC 281.
