DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks and the NBA represent a constantly-in-motion news cycle … and DallasBasketball.com, powered by Sports Illustrated, is here to chronicle it for you — trade rumors, reports, speculation and way more from the 2022-23 season.
AUG 15 KD LEVERAGE PLAY WITH NETS?
Thus far, the Kevin Durant trade saga has been civil … but that may very well be changing with NBA training camps being slightly greater than a month away. Despite Durant demanding a trade six weeks ago, the Brooklyn Nets’ front office has been in no rush to make things occur.
In Durant’s most up-to-date visit with Nets owner Joe Tsai about every week ago, he reiterated his desire to be traded, but additionally gave an ultimatum that was essentially, “either trade me or fire coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks.” After that news surfaced, Tsai responded by sending out this tweet:
In theory, it will be within the Nets’ best interest to maintain Durant, who still has 4 years remaining on his contract, provided that trade offers from opposing teams haven’t been as extraordinary as expected. Nevertheless, Durant apparently has no intentions of adjusting his mind on wanting to depart Brooklyn, and things could get ugly if he doesn’t get his wish in the subsequent month.
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Based on NBA reporter Marc Stein, many across the league are bracing for Durant to cause a “ruckus behind the scenes.”
“During summer league in Las Vegas, some of the well-connected team executives I speak to frequently insisted to me that, based on what he was hearing, Kevin Durant was more apt to retire than play again for the Brooklyn Nets,” Stein wrote in his Monday newsletter.
“I told the tipster that I simply couldn’t imagine that. I used to be a loyal subscriber to the idea that Durant The Hooper loves playing basketball way an excessive amount of to adopt such a stance.
“Now? Greater than a month later? Attaching the R-word to Durant still comes across as serious hyperbole, but it surely is actually getting easier to check him refusing to report back to training camp when the Nets get back together in six weeks for Media Day (Sept. 26) and their first practices of the brand new season (Sept. 27).”
The Dallas Mavericks don’t appear to have nearly enough assets to get their foot within the door relating to a Durant trade, however the domino effect following his potential exit from Brooklyn could affect Dallas.
Grab your popcorn and revel in the show!
