Kevin Durant says it was the Nets’ lack of accountability that prompted the trade demand

Kevin Durant thought that Sean Marks, the general manager of Brooklyn Nets and head coach Steve Nash, did not hold players accountable last season, leading to his since-withdrawn trade demand, he told reporters on Monday’s media day.

The former MVP requested that Nets owner Joseph Tsai fire Marks and Nash or swap him out of Brooklyn over the summer, but the 58-year-old billionaire was given the vote of support for his team’s leadership after reports of Durant’s demand surfaced. . Ultimately, the two sides met in Los Angeles last month where Durant’s concerns were allayed, prompting him to withdraw the trade request.

The Nets disappointed in 2021-22, finishing seventh in the East and being swept from the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Worsening issues during the season included Kyrie Irving’s frequent absences due to New York’s vaccination mandates and his refusal to receive the shot, as well as Durant’s ailments, including knee problems.

“A lot has been swept under the rug because we’re injured or because there are no men around,” Durant said. “We could have fought more because of that and focused on the guys who were here. When I went out with the injury, we lost 10 in a row. We shouldn’t lose some of these games.

“I was more concerned about how we as a team are going to work every day. I felt like we could have struggled through a lot of things that were holding us back.”

The Nets only went 5-16, while Durant recovered from a knee injury in January. Nets sources admit that too much has been placed on Durant’s shoulders, according to the Daily News.

“I didn’t like that it’s ‘when KD comes back,'” Durant said. ‘I get it. I know I can influence the game that way. But what about those other guys? We could have done better. And Steve agreed with me, so the things I said weren’t like we were on different pages.

‘We all agreed we should do the same, so I’m glad we [were] able to talk [it] through, and we found that that’s what we need… to just be a respectable team. I feel like we don’t have any respect on the pitch, and that’s what I want for us.

“I want that respect, and you do that by how you work every day, and we’ve skipped some steps in our way of working.

Durant said he approached Tsai with the matter during the season, hoping for a change.

However, it wasn’t until the August meeting in LA before Durant, Marks, Nash and Tsai could really solve the problems.

“Families go through things like this, going through adversity, going through disagreements,” Nash said Monday. ‘It’s part of working in this business. It’s super competitive. We are all proud. We all have expectations. And when we get worked up, like last year, everyone is disappointed. So we cleared the air, and we spoke, and we aligned.’

Marks admitted on Monday that he nearly granted Durant’s trade request, but concluded that “it’s pretty hard to get like-for-like.”

Durant didn’t pass up the opportunity to flatter himself, saying he understands he would be difficult to trade, given his status as one of the league’s foremost players.

“I know I’m so good you won’t just give me away,” Durant said. “That’s something I liked about Sean and Joe. “You’re too big for us to give you away.” I get it. I know who I am.’

Durant says he wants to stay in Brooklyn now, and Marks seems to agree.

“If he wanted out and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here,” Marks said.

Durant emphasized that he is excited for the upcoming season and expects the Nets to be more mature as they progress to 2022-23.

“A year of growth,” Durant said. ‘A year in which we look in the mirror, [realizing] we screwed up as a team. That will only make you better. So I’m counting on that. I have faith in that.

“I’m getting older,” the 34-year-old added. “I want to be in a stable place and try to build a championship culture. I had some doubts about that. I spoke them to Joe and we moved on from there.’