If Kenyon Martin were in Kevin Durant's position, he would have already asked the Brooklyn Nets to ditch Kyrie Irving.
The former NBA All-Star got brutally honest on the Nets' situation after the Boston Celtics swept them in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the former NBA All-Star highlighted how Irving caused the biggest problem for Brooklyn during the season because of his absence–which he believes is a betrayal of his commitment to KD when they went together to the team.
Martin highlighted that Durant picked the wrong situation when he decided to team up with Irving in Brooklyn, adding that he would have had a “major issue” with the veteran guard after everything that happened.
“If not him, then trade me,” Martin said when asked whether Durant should ask the Nets to move on from Irving. “He has to go man, because it's not about us. … We athletes are selfish to a certain degree, but when that selfishness comes before our team and what we're trying to accomplish, then that's a problem.”
It's understandable where Kenyon Martin is coming from. Looking at a fan standpoint, Kevin Durant himself was dealt with a crazy hand dealing with the Kyrie Irving situation and the eventual James Harden drama. They were once the best team in the East, but things started crashing for them as injuries and other off-court issues started to pile up.
For what it's worth, though, Durant pointed after their Game 4 loss and sweep to the Nets that his friendship with Irving is not based on basketball. With that said, he emphasized that the situation in 2021-22 doesn't have any effect in the strong relationship they have.
By the looks of it, KD and Kyrie are committed to making their partnership work. It remains to be seen what the Nets will do, but they are certainly in for a tough decision.
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