The trade and free agent markets have slowed down as the rest of the league await the resolution of disgruntled Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets‘ impasse.
The Nets have not found a trade package to their liking, even as there is a growing belief that they prefer to run it back with Durant.
Will Durant backtrack or put more pressure on the ownership to accelerate his departure?
The answer could be known as early as this week as Durant is reportedly scheduled to meet with Nets owner Joe Tsai in a crucial meeting, according to a Heavy.com report.
“What I’m hearing is that KD is going to meet with the owner this week,” Steve Bulpett’s source said. “He’s going to go directly to the owner, Joe Tsai, sometime this week. We’ll see how that works.”
Durant’s trade request stemmed from some things he wasn’t happy about.
“I’m not sure any of that gets fixed here [in the meeting]. But maybe it does.”
The Nets’ standoff with Kyrie Irving on a new contract certainly didn’t help, and so did the departure of one of his close friends, Adam Harrington, from Steve Nash’s coaching staff. Irving’s future with the Nets is a big question mark with no long-term extension. But Durant’s future is the Nets’ top priority.
The belief around the league is that the Nets prefer to have Durant back, especially after having a solid offseason, picking up athletic veterans to complement their core.
They traded a first-round pick to acquire defensive-minded wing Royce O’Neal on the day Durant requested a trade. Then they took a flier on veterans TJ Warren and Edmond Sumner, who could step into more prominent roles if Durant and Irving go elsewhere.
The trio, along with the returning Nic Claxton and Patty Mills, who both re-signed multi-year deals, Seth Curry, a healthy Joe Harris and Ben Simmons and a full-time Irving, who will be motivated to play on a contract year, are potent enough that may persuade Durant to stay rather than get traded to a team he doesn’t like.
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