Another day, another trade rumor to discuss regarding the Brooklyn Nets and their disgruntled future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant, who is still a member of the team several weeks after requesting his trade from the Nets.
Durant originally said that he preferred to go to the Phoenix Suns, but since then a number of teams have been discussed as potential landing spots, such as the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics, but there is still no movement on a trade.
Durant stepped up his pressure on the organization, telling team owner Joe Tsai that he wants head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks fires, in a play to force the Nets hand that was met with a resounding ‘no’.
It seems the Durant market is at a standstill as he and the Nets are in a ‘stalemate’.
“Ten days ago, Kevin Durant and Joe Tsai met in London” ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said, during an appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Monday morning. “Durant really tried to apply the pressure by asking for Steve Nash and Sean Marks to get fired…and guess what has happened? Nothing. Nothing has happened. The dynamic around Kevin Durant hasn’t changed at all. There hasn’t been an urgency in trade talks. There hasn’t been a change in strategy by the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think what we have here is really a study of leverage” Windhorst continued. “First off, the Nets do not have leverage in trade talks with other teams. They are not giving them the offers that they want. They see no reason to increase them. And so they’re not making any progress there. And Kevin Durant clearly does not have leverage with the Brooklyn Nets. He is asking for things: ‘Get me traded. Fire the coach. Fire the GM.’ He is being told no. So when you have denied leverage, you have a stalemate.”
With no solid offers submitted, and none seemingly on the horizon, it seems the mess will only get messier as the season approaches.
