Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai has backed in the team’s general manager and head coach after Kevin Durant’s reported ultimatum to choose between them or him.
Former NBA MVP Durant had handed in a trade request to the Nets on June 30 and remains keen to leave, although he still has four years remaining on his contract.
The Nets have patiently waited out for any offers from teams for 12-time All-Star Durant, whose currency is strong.
But Durant appears to have grown frustrated with the situation and told the Nets to choose between him or general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash according to ESPN.
Tsai responded to that public revelation on Twitter, stating: “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Durant was traded to the Nets in June 2019 but missed the entire season due to an Achilles injury.
Brooklyn formed a ‘Big Three’ when they brought in James Harden in January 2021 along with Durant and Kyrie Irving but they lacked continuity and bowed out of the playoffs in the Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Harden left in February 2022 for the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons who is yet to debut. The Nets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a clean sweep by the Boston Celtics.
Durant along with Irving, who had a challenging 2021-22 season due to his vaccination status not permitting him to play home games for more than half of the season, have been pushed to be traded this off-season.
Durant averaged 29.9 points with a .518 field goal percentage, along with 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists per game in 2021-22.
The Nets have done minimal transfer business this off-season with Royce O'Neale added from the Utah Jazz, while Andre Drummond, Bruce Brown and Goran Dragic have all departed.
