After more than a month of trade talks and speculations, Kevin Durant is staying with the Brooklyn Nets. He met with Joe Tsai and Sean Marks recently, changing his mind and committing his long-term future to the team. Who predicted this would happen all along? Of course, Stephen A. Smith.

The ESPN analyst discussed the whole situation on First Take on Tuesday and said he knew all along that KD would stay with the Nets. Via NBA on ESPN:

“We knew he wasn't going! I was on vacation right, I was out for a while. I came back, what was the first thing I said? He ain't going nowhere, he ain't going no place, you gonna stay right here, you too great, Kevin Durant is phenomenal, they ain't giving him up! KD is worth half the teams in the NBA!”

A classic heated take from Stephen A. In all fairness though, he did double down time and time again on Durant ultimately staying put. Smith never believed a trade would happen.

The reality is no one really got that close to pulling off a blockbuster for Kevin Durant. The Celtics made an offer but the Nets weren't the least bit interested. The Heat, Raptors, and even Sixers towards the end showed interest as well. However, nothing ever materialized.

Nets fans should be buzzing. When healthy, KD is the best scorer in this league. Hands down. If he and Kyrie Irving can stay on the floor for all 82 games and build chemistry, there's no telling how far Brooklyn can go in 2023.