NEW YORK, Aug 23 — Kevin Durant looks set to remain with the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club’s management team, the Nets said in a statement today.
Durant, who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles yesterday to discuss his future.
A statement from Nets manager Sean Marks today indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time NBA All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.
“(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” Marks said.
“We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”
The statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant’s future.
A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate the superstar.
Earlier this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai — telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.
Durant’s trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a four-year US$198 million (RM889 million) contract extension with Brooklyn.
However the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.
The Nets had hoped to build a super-team around Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
However the trio of stars were unable to turn Brooklyn into championship contenders and were swept in the first round of this year’s playoffs by the Boston Celtics. — AFP
