The Nets had an incredibly high price tag for Durant over the summer, and although several teams – including the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors – were interested in his services, most were reluctant to offer very large sums. of a package in Brooklyn, as doing so will leave the rest of their roster decimated. Despite the lack of progress on a potential deal, Durant maintained his desire to be traded throughout the offseason. But now it seems he’s comfortable staying with the Nets, at least for now. The star forward has four years left on his current deal. Here’s the statement from Nets general manager Sean Marks: “Steve Nash and I, along with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman yesterday in Los Angeles. We agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focused on basketball, with one collective goal: create a enduring franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.” With Durant staying put and joining Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons on the roster, the Nets are right back in the conversation for Eastern Conference contenders. Ultimately, any team Durant is on has a chance to make some real noise, as he remains arguably the most lethal offensive weapon in the NBA. Caesars Sportsbook listed the Nets with the third best NBA title odds (+800) shortly after the team was announced on Tuesday. Check the opt-in box to confirm you want to join.
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However, that doesn’t mean things will be completely smooth sailing in Brooklyn moving forward. A period of reconciliation will likely be needed, especially since Durant asked for both Nash and Marks to be fired. Now, these guys will have to find a way to work together if the Nets are going to succeed. With Durant in the mix, the Nets will look to improve on their finish last season, which saw them swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics. For a team with championship aspirations, this was obviously a very overwhelming conclusion. Maybe now they can put all the drama behind them and focus on basketball. The Nets will open their regular season against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 19th.
