Kevin Durant, Nets mend fences, superstar to remain in Brooklyn
NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant is staying with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 12-time All-Star forward requested a trade back in June, but on Monday the Nets' management met with him in Los Angeles to discuss the former MVP's future with the team.
In a statement, general manager Sean Marks said, "We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
That is certainly more likely by keeping Durant, who remains one of the best scorers in the NBA. He is set to begin a four-year extension he signed last summer, and the possibility of him being traded had been the biggest story in the NBA this summer.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 23, 2022
It's unknown exactly why Durant sought a trade, which came at the end of a turbulent year in Brooklyn. A championship favorite before last season began, the Nets barely made the playoffs and then were bounced by Boston in four games in the first round.
The Nets then refused to give a contract extension to Kyrie Irving, Durant's close friend, forcing him to pick up his option for next season, the final year of his deal.
The uncertainty around Durant's future in Brooklyn likely contributed to the Nets being left off the five-game Christmas lineup on national television.
But with Durant, the Nets can still be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. He averaged a franchise-record 29.9 points last season, and the Nets were bidding for the top spot in the East before he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for 21 games.