Subscribe
Follow Us
The biggest storyline this NBA offseason has been the trade request from Kevin Durant. After initially requesting a trade on June 30th, there have been nearly two months of mock trades and rumors. With the start of the 2022-23 season inching closer, Durant met with the Nets front office and the two sides did their best to patch things up. While it appears this is more of a business decision as he did not have much leverage considering the four-year contract he is currently on, the bottom line is he will be wearing a Nets jersey next season.
The Nets are running it back:
Kyrie
Harris
Durant
Simmons
ClaxtonBench:
Mills
Curry
O’Neal
Thomas
WarrenA top ___ seed in the East. pic.twitter.com/khNSfoec0c
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 23, 2022
There is still a great deal of talent on the Brooklyn roster and fair reason for optimism for the upcoming season. With Kevin Durant prepared to step back into his role as the team's centerpiece and some solid players set to surround him, the Nets should be considered a true threat in the Eastern Conference. With it now a sure thing that he will be returning to Brooklyn here are three predictions for what to expect from Durant ahead of the 2022-23 season.
3 bold Kevin Durant predictions in 2022-23
3)Kevin Durant ends Top 6 in MVP voting
While he is approaching the downside of his career at 33 years old, Kevin Durant has shown no signs of slowing down. The Nets superstar found himself in the MVP conversation last season prior to injuries holding him out for an extended period of time. If he can remain healthy this year, expect him to find himself right in the same discussion.
Article Continues Below
If there is one thing that can be confidently said about Kevin Durant- he is a hooper. Regardless of the situation or what is going on, he seems to be a guy where basketball is his consistent outlet. The 2012-13 MVP is deservingly mentioned among the NBA's best and will prove this once again this year. While the offseason circus may serve as a distraction to most players, do not expect this to be the case with Durant. Look for the four-time scoring champ to assert himself and prove why each team should have been willing to empty the tank to reach the Nets' sky-high asking price.
2)Kevin Durant will average 30+ points per game
30 points per game is a tall target, but one that Durant has hit twice already in his career. Just last season KD averaged29.9 points per game along with 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Having Kyrie Irving back on a consistent basis will help the team to develop some sort of coherent offense in a way that was not the case last season. Assuming he suits up, the passing ability of Ben Simmons also has exciting potential for creating opportunities for Durant as well. While Simmons has been criticized heavily for his lack of offensive assertiveness in his career, he has the potential to fit nicely as a pass-first option around Durant and Irving.
Last season went about as poorly as things possibly could have for the Brooklyn Nets. If the team wants to change this they must maximize their stars and this starts with Kevin Durant. Look for KD to produce like the impressive offensive weapon that he is and tally over 30 points per game.
1)Kevin Durant trade rumors do not die down
It is a positive sign that Durant and the Nets have settled their differences for the time being. However, it should be understood that this is not a change of heart in KD. It is clear that there was no real outlet for him to get out of Brooklyn given the state of the franchise and his contractual agreement. The Nets rightfully held a high bar for what they would accept in a trade package for the sniper. Some have even suggested the Nets had no desire to trade Durant at all and intentionally set the price out of reach. While both sides can agree that the best course of action is for him to continue to suit up and play, there still are sure to be some hostile feelings behind the scenes. It is not every day that an athlete requests his Head Coach and General Manager are fired.
Winning is the best cure to all hurt feelings. However, there clearly are some deeply rooted issues between Durant and the organization. If the Nets do not come out strong to start the season, the organization could reevaluate its stance on trading the superstar. Even if the team does well it may not be possible for Durant to fully regain trust. The trade rumors may be over for the time being but expect whispers of Kevin Durant's desired exit from Brooklyn to continue.
