Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai  backs staff members as Kevin Durant reiterates trade request

Brooklyn Nets team governor Joe Tsai has given has officially responded to Kevin Durant’s ‘It’s them, or me!’ ultimatum and backed head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

It follows a report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Durant has lost faith in the direction of the team under Nash and Marks. According to the report, Durant ‘reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Marks and coach Nash.’

Durant initially requested a trade from the team on June 30th but nothing has changed when it comes to finding the 33-year-old forward a new home.

Joe Tsai (middle) attends the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center

Durant signed for Brooklyn in free agency during the summer of 2019 in a series of moves that included the signing of fellow NBA superstar Kyrie Irving and all star Deandre Jordan.

Though Durant was still recovering from a torn Achilles at the time of the signing the moves spurned untold amounts of excitement among fans and league personnel that this trio would lead to a new era of dominance in Brooklyn. 

So much for that idea.

Durant signed a contract extension with the Nets and his currently has four years and $198million left on his deal, leaving the Nets with a lot of leverage in trade negotiations.

Brooklyn has indeed been utilizing this leverage and taking their time trading Durant, while they wait for a trade package they feel is massive enough to part with the 6 foot-10, 12-time All-Star. 

Durant and Irving stand side by side during first half of game against New York Knicks

Durant dribbles ball in game against Philadelphia 76ers in December of 2021

In theory the Nets could completely call Durant’s bluff and bring him back to play under Nash and Marks but that entails a large amount of risk.

In recent years fellow All Stars Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Philadelphia  76ers guard James Harden have shown how a disgruntled star can turn a situation so toxic the team has no choice but to trade the player for a much lower than anticipated value.

Coincidentally enough Harden gave Durant a front row seat on how to do this after first forcing a very messy trade out of Houston to Brooklyn, and then once again maneuvering a slight less messy, but still messy trade from the Nets to the 76ers.

Recent rumors have stated that the Nets are nowhere close to any deal involving moving Durant. 

Durant celebrates following the United States’ victory over France in the Men’s Basketball Finals in Tokyo

The Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors have been the teams most connected to trading for Durant. 

It is also worth keeping an eye on if NBA commissioner Adam Silver will eventually intervene in any potential Durant trade or what his actions in the aftermath or any potential moves by the Nets may be. 

Silver has gone on record in the past voicing his displeasure at the way star players have publicly forced trades in recent years. 

‘This needs to be a two-way street. Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players and the expectation is, in return, they will meet their end of the bargain. ‘ Silver said last month.

‘I’m realistic that there’s always conversations that are going to go on behind closed doors between players and their representatives and the teams. But we don’t like to see players requesting trades, and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.’