Even when they weren’t looking for upgrades in the trade market, the Brooklyn Nets have a habit of being mentioned in trade rumors. After a difficult start to the season, everything seemed to be going well for the Brooklynites, but everything changed when Kyrie Irving asked to be traded.

The point guard was finally traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, shocking everybody. Moreover, while many focused on Kyrie, others looked at the bigger picture and started working on getting a deal done for Kevin Durant.

The Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns were mentioned among these teams, as they think KD could become available before the trade deadline strikes. The Nets originally were reluctant to deal their superstar, but in recent hours, rumors surfaced suggesting the opposite.

Rival Teams Want Kevin Durant To Leave Nets In The Summer

Now, if they decide to keep KD on the roster, there might be a big obstacle for them, which is that the rest of the league won’t try to help them improve their roster if that means Durant will leave in the 2023 offseason. During a recent edition of his The Hoops Collective podcast, Windhorst explained (via Yahoo Sports):

“The Nets, I’m not sure teams really want to do business with them right now. Because there’s at least some teams that are interested in seeing if they can get Durant. And why would I help the Nets do something to build around Durant when I’m just going to hold my assets for Durant?

This isn’t a 100-meter race for many teams, as they’re patiently waiting to see if this strategy works. KD could once again demand a trade from the Nets, which would open the door for many franchises to try to lure him away from Barclays Center.

…. There may be other teams that are not even interested in doing business with the Nets right now that might also hold assets at this deadline, with the mind towards Durant, not that Durant would be available by Thursday, but that Durant will be available again in the summer.”

Durant could be ready to leave the Nets this summer, just like Kyrie did, but he’s been asked to stay there and show people that he can lead this team to the promised land. This isn’t a big story right now, but it could get very interesting this Thursday when everything can happen in the NBA.

Source: flipboard.com