According to a person with firsthand knowledge of the situation, Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
This move will likely cause clubs to rush to put up sizable offers for the All-Star player. The source who spoke to the Associated Press requested anonymity Thursday since neither the player nor Brooklyn disclosed any specifics publicly said that the Nets have been working with Durant to locate a trade partner and that he has numerous clubs on his preference list.
The first to report on Durant’s trade request was ESPN, which identified Phoenix and Miami as two of his top picks. The shocking news was released only hours before the start of the NBA’s summer free-agent session.
Kevin Durant Filed A Trade Request
Without including the season he missed while rehabbing from a damaged Achilles tendon, Kevin Durant has played in 14 seasons. In his career, he has scored 27.2 points on average; LeBron James has averaged 27.3 points a game during that time.
And even at his advanced age—Durant will be 34 on September 29—around the time that training camps get underway this fall, he is still among the finest players in the league. His 6′ 10″ size makes it nearly impossible for any defender to stop his jump jumper. Durant played with Brooklyn for three seasons, missing the first season while his Achilles was healing. After guiding the US to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games last summer, he scored 29.9 points on average in 55 games last season.
The Nets will suffer a great loss if he leaves, barring a change of heart. Last year at this time, the Nets were counting on a core featuring Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving to help them challenge for the title.