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In the end, Kevin Durant was best served staying put in the city he chose just three short years ago.
After a summer filled with trade demands and requests for a change at the general manager and head coaching positions, Durant and the Nets finally came to the realization that they need each other.
Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center April 25, 2022, in the Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Elsa/Getty Images)
Tuesday morning, Nets general manager Sean Marks announced that the two sides agreed to “move forward” together in pursuit of a championship, seemingly putting an end to Durant’s trade demand.
Ever since the late June afternoon when Durant’s request became public, fans of the NBA knew that this result was a very real possibility.
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While every team would have been foolish not to put in a call to the Nets about a trade package for Durant, there were only a few – if any – organizations who had the assets required to pull off the biggest trade in NBA history.
The Boston Celtics theoretically could have parted with Jaylen Brown and others for Durant, but after reaching the NBA Finals a year ahead of schedule, the move would have significantly shortened their championship window.
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The Memphis Grizzlies would have been a fascinating spot for Durant to wind up, but after playing in the Bay Area and New York City for the past five seasons, would Durant want to end his career in Memphis?
Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets is introduced before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center April 25, 2022, in the Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Elsa/Getty Images)
It never made sense for either side to move on from one another. Brooklyn would have received 70 cents on the dollar in return for Durant, and Durant’s legacy would have taken a hit as he departed from another organization.
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The conversation about Durant’s legacy is one that will go on many years once he finally calls it a career and it’s one that will be complicated.
He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest forwards of all time, a top-15 player in NBA history, and one of the most lethal offensive players the league has ever seen.
And yet, it’s hard to say that he’s ever found a home in the NBA or that there’s a particular organization that can claim him as its own. While he has his two championships, and no one will ever be able to take those rings away from him, he did so on Steph Curry’s team, joining the Golden State Warriors one year after they won an NBA record 73 regular season games.
Kevin Durant (7) of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates during Game 4 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs April 25, 2022, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images)
Durant bolted for the Nets just three years after arriving in Oakland, with many assuming he wanted to carve out his own legacy in Brooklyn.
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The decision to try and make it work with the Nets will give him the opportunity to do so, with Irving signed for the 2022 season and the hope that point guard Ben Simmons can return to his 2021 form, when he finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
On paper, the Nets should be able to at least contend with the top of the East. Whether that happens is a completely different story, but Brooklyn still remains the best option for Durant to continue adding to his legacy and for the Nets to remain relevant.
It appears that both sides realize that now.
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