Would it be smart for the Brooklyn Nets to simply not trade Kevin Durant?
About a week ago, the Brooklyn Nets‘ offseason was flipped upside down. Just when it appeared that they had found a resolution with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant decided he wanted a change of scenery and demanded a trade shortly before the start of free agency.
Durant gave the Nets a preferred destination wishlist but it’s quickly become clear that neither the Phoenix Suns nor Miami Heat has exactly what the Nets would be looking for. Or at least not enough of it.
So as the offseason continues to unfold, Durant is still on the Nets roster and it’s quickly gotten to somewhat of a standstill. With one big question that remains unanswered, what should the Nets do now?
On one hand, they could quickly move to try to find the best possible trade for Durant, accounting for where he wants to be. On the other, they could just ship him to the best overall offer, regardless of where Durant wants to be.
Or, they could simply not trade him.
The first two options have been discussed ad nauseam since Durant made his trade request public. However, would it be smart if the Nets simply refused to trade Durant and carry him on the roster heading into the training camp?
According to recent reports, that could certainly end up happening.
"The Nets aren't gonna move Kevin Durant until their price is met.. this process could take a while" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AJOL6Wq5pY
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 5, 2022
The Nets aren’t planning on moving Durant just for the sake of moving Durant. They shouldn’t. That’d be a huge mistake for a franchise that has gotten royalty screwed in the most recent power struggle.
That said, I’m interested if this bargaining tactic will work. The great part of it is that the Nets have pretty much all the leverage here. Durant has four years remaining on his contract and will be 34 years old by the time the new season begins.
Is Durant willing to sit out a whole season if the Nets aren’t able to get the offer that they think they deserve for arguably the best player in the league? Probably not. But, at that point, would the Nets even want to play KD?
It’s really a catch-22.
The Nets should absolutely be playing hardball but playing too hard of ball could leave them with a negative asset on the roster – just the way the Philadelphia 76ers had to manage during the first part of last season.
My best guess is that this is all bargaining by the Nets. They have a price that they believe is fair and aren’t going to settle for anything less. Which they shouldn’t.
But I have a feeling this situation is only going to get messier. Especially if this continues to drag over the next couple of months.