The Kyrie Irving saga that went on for a long time has finally come to an end recently. The Brooklyn Nets‘ face ultimately chose to opt-in into his final year of the contract. This came as a surprise to many as only last week’s sources reported that talks between the franchise and the player had reached an impasse. His commitment to the Nets would mean that he will play one more year with his good friend Kevin Durant.
Or that’s what we all thought till yesterday. According to Shams Charania, reports have emerged saying that Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn. The main reason why this has come as a surprise is due to the fact that Kyrie committed to the Nets and KD doesn’t.
Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
The pair have played just 44 games together in three years after joining the Nets. To put that into perspective, Klay Thompson played 45 games with Stephen Curry despite missing many games due to injury. The Nets’ fans expected them to be the star trio, together with James Harden, to bring them to the top. The three players have performed decently from an individual perspective but as a team, they have failed to make a lasting impact.
Kevin Durant aiming Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat after requesting trade from Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant is one of, if not the hottest player on the market right now. Despite his age, he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. Many teams will be looking to land him in a trade, but what will be significant is what the Brooklyn Nets are interested in. However, rumors say that the player has only two potential destinations on his mind; Phoenix Suns & Miami Heat.
On Monday, as the league prepared for Kevin Durant to potentially request a trade during the Kyrie opt-in saga, Phoenix and Miami were often mentioned as the All-Star’s perceived favorite landing spots.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 30, 2022
To lure the Nets into a trade, the Suns would have had to put their best player, Devin Booker on the table. That would not be possible now since his latest contract updates. Reports point in the direction where he signs an extension worth more than $200m.
Realistically, the player that the Heat would be looking to trade KD for would be Jimmy Butler. It is still unclear whether the Nets are looking for young options for the future. They might be tempted to go for Butler after his performances last season.
It is now safe to say that Kevin Durant’s career with the Nets has come to an end, after a long three-year period. The time was both chaotic and hectic for the player and the franchise. This was because of the off-the-court saga that was happening. It will be exciting to see how the pair do without each other.
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