Kyrie Irving, as we now know, wants to leave Brooklyn. Following a trade request only a day ago, many people have already begun exploring prospective landing destinations. Few have addressed the instant attention it has brought to the situation of another Nets player, Kevin Durant.
According to rumors, teams are currently actively contacting the franchise to know whether or not Durant will be on the market anytime soon. After all, this is the guy who asked for a trade only last season. Could Irving’s probable departure be the catalyst for a league-altering trade?
Among rival teams, there's far more interest in inquiring on Kevin Durant's reaction to Kyrie Irving's trade request and how that may impact KD's future with the Nets.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 3, 2023
KD was naturally surprised when he found out about Irving’s trade request. There has been no comment on how Durant feels about the current situation, although he did want a trade last summer. At the time, he said that his preferred destinations were the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns.
To that end, the Suns did try to work out a deal including Deandre Ayton, which the Nets were not interested in. Finally, the band reformed, and everything looked to be back to normal in Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant was ‘surprised’ by Kyrie Irving’s trade demand, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/uyD6DxZiuj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 3, 2023
Even if the former MVP seeks a trade, let’s be honest, replacing him will be difficult. To be fair, we’re talking about one of the finest players of the modern era, if not the top five. That is to say unless a team is ready to part with the family jewels, a trade is unlikely for the large majority of NBA teams. Kevin Durant is one of the finest shooters in the league, but his size and length are the real issues.
In reality, his great shooting ability is overshadowed by those two physical attributes. It is hard to handle when he’s on defense.
Durant’s trade request was made more difficult by the fact that he had signed a four-year, $198 million contract deal in 2021.
Now, in the first year of his deal, it will require some really smart calculations to figure out how to put him on a team, but as we just discussed, he is very well worth it. Finally, the NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, which means that if Durant wants out, we’ll know within a few days.
If/when that happens, expect a flurry of activity across the board because, at the end of the day, it’s Kevin Durant.
