Everyone has an opinion about Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets these days.
Ever since it was announced that Durant was demanding a trade from his team, people have gotten fired up and felt quite a few things.
The takes have been red hot and flying wildly since the news leaked.
“These trade demands are not even close to being justified… If I’m Joe Tsai for the Brooklyn Nets, you ain’t going no damn place. There is no way in hell I’m letting Kevin Durant leave this year. Hell with that!”
— @stephenasmith on @KDTrey5‘s demandspic.twitter.com/9O84pzxPZw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 15, 2022
Stephen A. Smith had a few things to say about Durant and his future with Brooklyn.
Smith, speaking on a yacht for some odd reason, spoke up about KD on ESPN: “These trade demands are not even close to being justified…If I’m Joe Tsai for the Brooklyn Nets, you ain’t going no damn place. There is no way in hell I’m letting Kevin Durant leave this year. Hell with that!”
Smith isn’t alone with this sentiment: legions of fans and analysts think the Nets should force Durant to stick around, whether he likes it or not.
Playing Hardball
Smith’s proposal cuts right to the heart of the matter: the Nets hold all the cards in this situation.
Durant recently signed a four-year deal with the team and has no control over what team he is traded to.
The Nets could send him to the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, or even other teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Orlando Magic if they really wanted.
They could also ignore his pleas and keep him in Brooklyn, forcing him to play for a team he doesn’t like or sit on the bench for possibly four more years.
There have been some rumors that Durant is willing to sit out of training camp to show how serious he is about being traded.
Refusing to play would greatly tarnish Durant’s legacy so some think it won’t come to that.
The bottom line is that the entire situation might get much more intense very soon.