Durant has reportedly been stalked by the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and, most recently, the Memphis Grizzlies. His decision to stay with Brooklyn comes two weeks after Durant repeated his request to trade and asked Nets owner Joe Tsai to choose him or Marks and coach Steve Nash, According to the athlete.
Tsai responded with a tweet showing his support for the front office and technical staff.
Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interests of the Brooklyn Nets.
– Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022
Durant, a two-time champion and two-time MVP of the Finals, will continue his Brooklyn tenure set by the drama.
Durant, who left Golden State to work with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn shortly after tearing up his Achilles during the 2019 Finals, tried to pull the plug on the project just three years later. hours ago NBA Free Agency Period It opened on June 30 and only two weeks after Warriors won their first title since his departure, Durant officially requested trade After a grueling season 2021-22 that ended with Humble first-round sweep by the Celtics.
Durant’s tenure in Brooklyn has unfolded in a haze, in part because it aligns so closely with Corona virus pandemic. The four-time champion missed the 2019-20 season as he recovered from an Achilles injury, choosing not to rush back to the bubble set up in Orlando. During the intense 2020-21 season, Durant was limited to 35 games due to injuries and a lack of coronavirus protocol before turning to a thrilling postseason that ended with a second-round loss to eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks.
Last season, Durant squandered time again due to his 55-game blunt injury, then turned in one of the most forgettable post-season performances of his career against the Celtics.
Along the way , The Nets have had great success with the Houston Rockets to James Harden in January 2021, then reverse course Philadelphia 76ers All-star goalkeeper swap last February.
Irving has been a major factor in the instability of Brooklyn, who has lost significant time over the past three seasons due to injuries, personal absences and eligibility issues related to his refusal to get a coronavirus vaccination. While Durant has always been keen to defend Irving in public, it was clear that the Nets needed major changes after their disappointing display against the Celtics. In one sign of how quickly Brooklyn’s disintegration was, Durant’s commercial request came less than a year after he signed a four-year, $198 million extension.
At first, Durant seemed to view the Nets as an opportunity to be the face of his own franchise once again, to expand his business and his media portfolio into a big market and build a list full of his friends. Brooklyn has vowed to embed a player-friendly culture, even by deferring to its stars in matters like playing time and injury management.
This philosophical approach backfired in the 2021-22 season, as Irving’s vaccination saga overshadowed the Nets’ season, contributed to Harden’s departure and placed a heavy burden on Durant. A lack of organizational experience was the root cause of many of Brooklyn’s shortcomings: Tsai took full ownership of the franchise in 2019, Marks was a relatively new CEO with no prior experience managing A-list superstars, and Steve Nash was first coach when he was hired. Appointed in 2020.
Over and over again after Durant and Irving landed, the nets looked like they bit off more than they could chew. While Brooklyn had the second-highest payroll in the NBA last season – behind only Golden State – it was the only team out of 16 to not win a single game in the postseason.
However, Durant played at the MVP level of the caliber when he was healthy throughout his Nets tenure, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season. However, with only one win in the playoff series during his time in Brooklyn, the highlight of the post-Achille Durant era was A central role in the NBA gold medal winning team at the Tokyo Olympics. Otherwise, he had to watch main competitors LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmue and Stephen Curry win championships while the Nets repeatedly failed to live up to expectations.
