Kevin Durant tells Nets owner Joe Tsai ‘fire coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks or trade me’
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It’s them, or me! Kevin Durant ‘tells the Nets to trade him OR fire coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks’, in a new ultimatum to billionaire owner Joe Tsai… just a year after signing his $198m contract
- Kevin Durant has reportedly reiterated a trade demand to Nets owner Joe Tsai
- He reportedly said he’d stay if coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks are fired
- The reasons for his dissatisfaction are known to the Nets, but not publicly
- The Nets were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics
- Durant has garnered significant trade interest from teams, including Boston
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A little more than a month after first asking for a trade from the Nets, Kevin Durant has reportedly reiterated that request to team owner Joe Tsai with one major caveat: He’ll stay in Brooklyn if head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks are jettisoned instead.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania has reported that Durant recently met with Tsai on Saturday in London and told the billionaire that he has no faith in the direction of the team.
The specific reasons for Durant’s dissatisfaction remain unclear, at least publicly, but Charania reports that the Nets have ‘direct knowledge’ of the details.
A little more than a month after first asking for a trade from the Nets, Kevin Durant (right) has reportedly reiterated that request to team owner Joe Tsai with one major caveat: He’ll stay in Brooklyn if head coach Steve Nash (left) and GM Sean Marks are jettisoned instead
Team spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Durant’s Nets were swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season by the Boston Celtics, who have since reportedly offered All-Star Jaylen Brown in exchange for Brooklyn’s disgruntled superstar forward. Durant still has $198 million and four years remaining on his contract, while Brown has two seasons and $56 million left on his.
Durant’s future in Brooklyn has been complicated by the situation with his current Nets teammate, Kyrie Irving, who opted into the final year and $37 million of his contract to stay with the team, but is rumored to be pushing for his own exit.
The crosstown rival New York Knicks as well as the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, as well as the Philadelphia 76ers would be interested in acquiring Irving, according to various reports.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum told reporters last month that he wants the reigning Eastern Conference champions’ core to stay intact.
‘I played with him during the Olympics,’ Tatum said when asked about Durant. ‘Obviously, he’s a great player. But that’s not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys we got.’
Brown has not commented on the report directly, but did tweet ‘SMH’ – the abbreviation for ‘shaking my head.’
While the Celtics’ reported interest only surfaced in late July, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Boston’s front office, led by Brad Stevens, had been in regular contact with Nets general manager Sean Marks for weeks prior. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has since reported that the Nets are not actively engaged in any trade discussions regarding Durant.