Kevin Durant has had a whirlwind of a week, and the NBA Trade Deadline hasn’t even passed yet.
Over the weekend his Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks.
While Brooklyn is 32-21 and only 5.5 games back of the Boston Celtics for tops in the East, many are now wondering whether Durant will really want to remain with the Nets with Ben Simmons as his No. 2.
According to Kristian Winfield of the NY Daily News, Durant is very lukewarm regarding the lone remaining star on his team.
“Yet whether or not Durant wants to remain in Brooklyn with Irving – the only other star on the roster – out of town is unclear,” she wrote.
“Ben Simmons has missed the last four games with left knee soreness but sources familiar with Durant’s thinking tell the Daily News the star forward has been less than enthralled with Simmons.”
Durant’s reaction to the whole Irving debacle is understandable, but he doesn’t have time to stew in it. With the NBA Trade Deadline coming and going this week, he has to make some tough decisions about his future.
Over the summer Durant trying to force a trade from Brooklyn. Because he is in the first year of a four-year deal with the team, the Nets understandably felt zero motivation to move him.
It is hard to see how things would go any differently if he demanded a trade again this time around.
The video speaks for itself. Yikes. https://t.co/vJ1iD2wthd
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 7, 2023
For better or worse, Durant’s best hope at this juncture seems to be praying that Cam Thomas continues to develop and that the front office can get him another star to play alongside.
Bonus points if the Nets figure out how to get rid of Simmons, obviously, but that seems unlikely. The 26-year-old’s trade value is at an all-time low right now.
What will the Nets ultimately look like come Feb. 10? An answer one way or the other is coming soon enough.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
