It’s safe to say the Nets had an eventful summer, even if it didn’t lead to a whole lot of action. Most of that drama was focused on Kevin Durant, who requested a trade that never came to fruition.
With the NBA regular season continuing to creep closer, squads are beginning training camp. That means media sessions, and even though Durant doesn’t want to go on New York radio to answer tough questions, he had to on Monday.
Here’s what he had to say about why he requested a trade, what he’s looking for as a veteran player, and why he’s ready to move forward with Brooklyn:
Kevin Durant addresses his eventful offseason and what led to his decision to ultimately return to the Nets. pic.twitter.com/qg89b2hS1s
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 26, 2022
I mean, Durant has a point about the instability. Kyrie Irving wasn’t playing very much because of New York City’s vaccine mandate, James Harden was with the squad for a bit before getting traded to the 76ers, and then Ben Simmons didn’t play at all.
This all led to the Nets getting swept out of the playoffs in their first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics. That was a humbling experience Brooklyn needed, according to Irving.
At the same time, Durant could just stick around and help give the franchise some stability instead of trying to leave. After all, having people around to change things is what’s needed to build a championship culture. As he said, he committed to this organization for four years not too long ago, and now it’s time to see what this roster can do.
Brooklyn’s summer of turmoil has passed and they’ve come out the other side with Irving, Durant, and Simmons all healthy and ready to play for the Nets. Who knows, maybe they can turn what was a nightmare scenario into a championship this season.
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Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
