With news that Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has asked team owner Joe Tsai to trade him, or fire the General Manager and Coach, Durant is damaging his legacy. This has been an ongoing problem for Durant since he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.
That decision effectively wiped out the eight years of goodwill he had built up in Oklahoma City, and among basketball fans. Most felt that he had taken the easy way out by signing with a team that had three All-Stars, had already won a championship, and had nearly won another just a few weeks earlier. He did, and he’s only hurt his legacy since then.
Kevin Durant’s latest trade request hurts both him and the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant won back-to-back championships with the Warriors and was the Finals MVP both times, but few respected him for it. So, Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets to try and build a championship team with Kyrie Irving. That blew up in his face (big surprise there), then he demanded a trade, despite having four years left on his contract.
That hasn’t worked, so he’s leaving the door open for a return to the Brooklyn Nets, but only if they fire Sean Marks and Steve Nash. That’s a non-starter, and he likely knows it. On principle, the Nets can’t give in, and they shouldn’t be bullied into taking a bad trade just so Durant can play where he wants to.
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
Playing hardball could mean the Nets begin the year with Durant to get teams to offer more, or risk them not moving him until after next season. Durant could always sit out, but that didn’t work out so well for teammate Ben Simmons. It would also further damage his already crumbling reputation. Just look at Simmons, he’s become a joke to many NBA fans, and KD may be next if he isn’t careful.
That may sound farfetched, considering he’s one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and averaged almost 30 points per game last season. Despite that, the distractions have taken away from his excellent play, and that’s been the case for a while now.
All in all, the Nets don’t have to trade Durant until they’re ready to, and the more he tries to force his way out, the more he hurts his legacy.