Report: Nets prioritizing completing Kevin Durant trade, Kyrie Irving trade talks 'frozen'
As the NBA offseason enters the second full week of July, one Brooklyn Nets superstar now appears much more likely to be traded than the other one.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the remaining four years on Durant's contract have been causing some teams to hesitate in their pursuit of the 12-time All-Star. ESPN's Nick Friedell meanwhile, noted that a Durant trade "could take a long time" and within the Nets' organization, there's "hope" that he'll reconsider his trade request.
The situation is clearly a fluid one, as it was only Friday when Windhorst said he believed a trade involving Irving and Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers was "eventually going to happen." Earlier last week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Brooklyn was expecting "one of the biggest trade returns in league history" for Durant.
Irving opted into his $37 million player option with the Nets in late June and over the last two weeks it's seemed that only the Lakers have had potential interest in trading for the former No. 1 overall pick. Since requesting a trade from the Nets, rumored teams for Durant's possible next landing spot have included the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns among others.
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