NBA free agency has started with a boom. A hypersonic boom felt all the way in Proxima Centauri. Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the request Thursday afternoon. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski then reported that the Nets are expected to work with KD on finding a new home.
All of this comes amid drama surrounding the Nets and star point guard Kyrie Irving. It was just recently that reports surfaced Irving wanted to land somewhere else in a sign-and-trade. He then opted into his contract for next season, ending any speculation on that front.
As for other news coming from Brooklyn on Thursday, reports suggest that the entire Nets’ roster could be up in trade talks during the summer. That includes Irving and Ben Simmons.
Related: Ideal Kevin Durant trade scenarios
Kevin Durant trade request and what it means
“Kevin Durant has not talked to the team in weeks…I don’t think Kevin is confident in the front office right now. I don’t know if he is at the stage of leaving, but there is a big uneasiness from the KD side.”
NBA insider Logan Murdock reported recently
It was previously noted that Durant was not in communication with the Nets’ brass in the weeks following their ugly sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Behind the scenes, Brooklyn had been planning on potentially losing both Durant and Irving this summer.
- Kevin Durant contract: 4 years, $194.22 million
KD signed his current extension back in August of 2021. It kicks in during the 2022-23 season, meaning he’s under contract through the 2025-26 campaign. However, Durant signed said deal at a time when it seemed like the Nets were building a super team with Irving and James Harden in the mix. That’s no longer the case.