When Kevin Durant sent in his trade request this summer, it came as a shock for many within the NBA community. After just three seasons with the Nets (only two of which were active), Durant seemingly quit before he even really had a chance to succeed.
But now, there is new evidence that suggests something more was happening than has been reported.
According to former Nets guard Mike James, (who played from 2017-2021) Durant called him before the playoffs started to admit that his team was probably going to get bounced.
"[Kevin Durant] called me before the playoffs start, he's like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna be there [at your playoff game] in like a couple weeks. We fitting to lose.'"
Needless to say, Durant must have sensed some serious issues with his team if he knew that they were going to lose. It was only a year ago, after all, that they fought tooth-and-nail with the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semis.
Durant ended up being spot on with his prediction, as Brooklyn would go on to lose in the very first round against the young and gritty Boston Celtics. He asked for a trade weeks later.
The problem now is that all of the drama is impacting Brooklyn's pursuit of free agents, and their ability to build up the roster has become seriously compromised.
“All of the drama has absolutely impacted the way free agents look at signing with the Nets," as The Athletic's Alex Schiffer explained in a Q&A. "How can it not? Would you go work for a company that has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately? Would you have taken a job at Enron after the scandal came out years ago and the stock was worth pennies? I don’t think other front offices have minded the drama in Brooklyn. It just makes their sales pitch easier to free agents also considering the Nets.”
It remains to be seen how all of this will play out. In truth, it's hard to believe how much of a mess this situation has become in just a few years.
But whatever happens, Durant isn't built to sit out like Ben Simmons. No matter what team he's on, he's going to hoop to the best of his ability. Clearly, he has lost faith in Brooklyn's capabilities, but it doesn't mean he has lost faith in his own.
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