Kevin Durant Trade Talks Have ‘Slowed To Trickle’

July 20, 2022

The Nets reportedly had been aggressive in making trade calls centered on Kevin Durant — and got nowhere. Now, it seems, they have either given up or are taking a break.

“The trade talks involving Kevin Durant have slowed to a trickle,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up. “They are not aggressively, I am told, making the outgoing calls.”

There may not be a ton of incoming calls, either.

On Thursday, a rival GM told Hoops Wire, “Everyone pretty much knows KD probably isn’t winning any titles, not without (Stephen Curry), which is why no one wants to mortgage the farm for him.”

The GM went on to tell Hoops Wire that he believes Durant will end up back in Brooklyn, despite his trade request.

Some have speculated that Durant only wants traded because Kyrie Irving will presumably return, as Durant’s trade request came just a few days after Irving picked up the option on his contract.

“The sense is that Durant has tired of Irving’s unreliability and would welcome Irving being traded,” RealGM wrote. “To this point, Durant has only asked the Nets for a trade with few details as to why he wants to be traded. Durant is starting Year 1 of a four-year, $197.6 million extension this upcoming season.”

Others have told Hoops Wire they don’t believe that theory to be true.

“Nobody knows what Kevin Durant is thinking right now,” Windhorst said. “His communication with teammates and others in the league has been sparse. I don’t even think that the Nets have a 100% understanding of why Kevin asked for a trade.”

Either way, it’s pretty evident that the Nets are getting what they hoped for in return for Durant, and if they really feel the need to trade him, will have to take less than expected.