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A lot has happened during this NBA offseason. The draft produced several impressive talents expected to change the direction of their new franchises. Each team also made some notable free agent moves in an attempt to put themselves in a better position moving forward. However, the biggest storyline surrounding the NBA has certainly been the Kevin Durant saga following his trade request from the Brooklyn Nets.
The initial request to be traded was made by Durant on June 30th. Since that time, the news has been flooded with mock trades and various reports from unnamed sources. Desire the clear desire of the superstar to find a new destination for next season, the Nets held strong and showed little to no interest in trading him. Whether their sky-high price in return was due to their unwillingness to trade him or the necessity for what it would take to better their franchise, Brooklyn did not cave to Durant's pressure and it has ultimately paid off. The two sides recently met to mend feelings and arrive at the conclusion that the former MVP will continue to suit up for the Nets moving forward. Brooklyn should be considered deserving winners of the offseason for this very reason.
Steve Nash, Joe Tsai and Sean Marks met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles on Monday and have decided to move forward with partnership, Nets say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 23, 2022
Nets win 2022 NBA offseason for calling Kevin Durant's bluff
To start with, Durant did not have much room to stand on considering he signed a four-year contract extension with the Nets that was just set to begin this year. While stars have a pretty good track record of getting their wish in this type of situation, the length of time left on the deal makes it especially tricky. The 76ers dealt with a similar issue with Ben Simmons last year although some notable circumstances make the two situations different. Simmons fully held out and refused to play for the Sixers but the trade took up until the trade deadline to actually occur.
Simmon and Durant are now set to be teammates this upcoming season as a result of last year's trade. Signs seemed to be pointing to the tensions continuing heading into camp and it would likely have required Durant to be just as disruptive to the team in order for him to get his wish. The two sides settling things and attempting to turn a new page heading into next season is clearly the best option.
The Nets should be especially thrilled that Durant will be returning to the team. Even the sky-high trade prices they were demanding did not guarantee the team would be in a better position than they are currently in. Kevin Durant is arguably a top 15 player of all time and still clearly one of the best in the NBA. In addition to the slim reaper, Kyrie Irving will also be returning to the team.
Despite the speculation of his desired move to the Lakers, Irving opted into his player option to remain with the team. With the Covid restriction lifted and Irving set to be a free agent after the season, Brooklyn should expect a more focused Kyrie Irving in 2022-23. While he has become the butt of many NBA jokes, Ben Simmons is also an intriguing complement to the KD and Kyrie duo. Adding his playmaking and defensive abilities alongside the elite scorers gives the trio intriguing potential. There also is a nice collection of role players to surround these three. As evidence of the optimism, the Nets' title odds shrunk by around half following the news that KD was staying.
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
It is impossible to replace a player of Kevin Durant's status. There is no free agent move or trade haul that a team would be willing to part with that could replicate his impact. Just last season the 33-year-old averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists for the Nets. His elite scoring and two-way impact have not shown signs of slowing down and he will be ready to deliver as a centerpiece of the Nets once again next season.
Brooklyn's decision to call Durant's bluff should also be regarded as a massive in around the league. While the steps forward in player empowerment have overall been very positive, the NBA was approaching some dangerous territory. KD has been given some of the most input with roster and coaching decisions since coming to the Nets. The franchise has been overly accommodating to the superstar during his two seasons there. While KD certainly has reason to be upset with Irving's absence and Harden forcing his way out, the environment has been one he mostly created. It is clearly in the best interest of the Nets for Kevin Durant to return next season and they won the NBA offseason by ensuring this is the case.
