As training camp approaches, NBA superstar Kevin Durant reiterated his desire to be traded as he is no longer happy with Brooklyn Nets management according to reports.
In a face-to-face meeting in London, Durant gave Joseph Tsai, Brooklyn Nets team owner, an ultimatum-to choose between him and the duo of head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks as KD doesn't trust the team's trajectory, as per a report from Shams Charania of the Athletic.
In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2022
Story: https://t.co/W1voNf9MDC
On Monday, Tsai tweeted that the Nets front office and coaching staff got his back.
"Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets," he tweeted.
Still Great But Troubled KD
During the offseason, Durant had asked the Brooklyn Nets for a trade after a turbulent year that ended with a first-round playoff sweep by the Boston Celtics. According to reports, the Nets have demanded a high sum for the Kevin Durant trade, to which interested teams have not yet agreed.
The first year of Durant's four-year, $198 million deal extension with the Nets began in 2021. He is under contract for the 2025-2026 NBA season, per Yahoo! Sports.
The 33-year-old forward will soon begin his 16th NBA season and is still among the best offensive players in the league. He shot 51.8% from the field and 38.3% from 3-point range in 55 games last season, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Kevin Durant's rehabilitation from an Achilles tendon tear put him out of action for the 2019-20 season. Throughout the past two seasons in Brooklyn, injuries have only allowed him to play in 90 regular-season games.
Durant's Support For Nash Dwindled
In 2020, after Kenny Atkinson's final season as head coach, the Nets hired Nash to oversee the team's reconstruction around Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Nash, a Hall of Fame point guard, had no prior head coaching experience when he took over a squad designed to contend for the NBA championship. Hence the hire came as a surprise to the league.
Under Nash, the Nets have a 92-62 record and have never made it past the semifinals round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Although Nash has had consecutive successful seasons, his coaching career hasn't quite been flawless. Brooklyn's defense has received a lot of flak over the last two seasons, and their isolation-heavy offense wasn't the best tactic on the court, as per a report from CBS Sports.
Additionally, there have been rumors that Nash's coaching technique played a factor in James Harden's request for a trade from the Nets. Therefore, even though Durant initially supported Nash, there are clear reasons why it may have diminished.
Regarding Marks, a prominent front-office executive in the league, it's difficult to grasp exactly what concerns Durant has with Brooklyn's general manager. If superstars Durant and Irving choose to play in Brooklyn, the Nets have already bolstered the supporting cast around them this offseason by bringing in Royce O'Neale, TJ Warren, and re-signing Patty Mills.
Plus, a completely healed Joe Harris and Ben Simmons will join the squad, giving their two stars and the rest of the roster even more firepower to become a championship contender.
