Kevin Durant requests a trade from Nets, a team working to find a deal for the superstar, per manager

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the team, according to his business manager Rich Kleiman. Nets general manager Sean Marks is working with Durant and Kleiman to find a trade. by Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant reportedly has the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat as his preferred targets, but there will undoubtedly be no shortage of teams trying to get the best deal to land the 12-time All-Star’s services. Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so Brooklyn can sell him to the team that offers them the best value.

This news comes after concerns were raised about Brooklyn’s future with both Durant and Kyrie Irving. When news broke earlier this week that Irving might not want to be in Brooklyn again unless the team offered him a long-term extension, there were rumors that Durant would also want out. However, Irving recently opted for his $37 million player option for next season, suggesting both he and Durant would remain with the Nets for at least the 2022-23 season.

But Wojnarowski reports that neither Irving nor Durant had any contact with the Nets front office after Irving decided on his player option, suggesting Durant would eventually ask for a trade.

It’s a tumultuous journey for a Nets team who were considered championship favorites last season. But a trade request from James Harden – who landed the Nets Ben Simmons from the 76ers – an MCL injury to Durant and Irving, who were unable to play most of the season due to his unvaccinated status, completely shattered those aspirations. As a result, the Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics with a perfectly healthy Durant and Irving in the first round of the playoffs. Durant’s desire to request a trade suggests he may be done with the tumultuous nature of the Nets franchise since joining the team in 2019.

Durant’s four-year, $198 million contract extension he signed last summer doesn’t come into effect until the 2022-23 season, so it will take a massive offer from opposing teams to sign him. But with free agency beginning, every team will call on the Nets to try and put together a package worthy of Durant’s talents.

As for the Nets, it’s a tough spot for a team that at one point had all three of Durant, Irving and Harden and was the most stacked team in the league on paper. This wealth of talent has never lived up to its potential, however, with injuries and vaccination status plaguing their championship journey.

The return of Durant could set the Nets up well going forward, with the potential to land several first-round picks and perhaps a young cornerstone to build around. They could also sell Irving now that he’s opted for his player option, giving them more assets to work with.

The Durant development has made everything a lot more intriguing as surely every team in the league will now try to turn around and make a deal for one of the best players in the league.