LOS ANGELES – As the NBA braced for the free agency negotiating window to open, superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets according to US media reports.
ESPN, citing unnamed sources, said Durant — a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors — was eyeing a move to either the Phoenix Suns or the Miami Heat, but that the Nets would be aiming to get the best deal possible for the star with four years remaining on his contract.
Durant, 33, re-signed with the Nets in 2021 for four years and $198 million.
He arrived in Brooklyn in 2019, departing Golden State to form a superteam alongside point guard Kyrie Irving.
The Nets would later acquire star guard James Harden, but the star trio never gelled, AFP reported.
Irving missed much of the 2021-22 season after declining to be vaccinated against coronavirus, a disgruntled Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in February and the Nets were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
Durant’s trade request shook the league hours before the opening of free agency, when teams can officially begin talks to sign players who are not under contract.
A day earlier, Irving exercised his option to remain under contract with the Nets for a $36.9 million in the upcoming season, although he could still depart Brooklyn via a sign and trade package.
According to ESPN, James Harden declined his player option worth $47.4 million for 2022-23 and will instead work with the Philadelphia 76ers on a short-term, team-friendly deal that allows flexibility to add to the team’s supporting cast.
Harden can technically test unrestricted free agency in this scenario, but ESPN reported the details of his agreement with team president Daryl Morey have been in the works for some time.
Morey, who once acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder to be the centerpiece of the Houston Rockets, traded for Harden at the deadline last season in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets that involved Ben Simmons.
Harden will be 33 before the start of training camp and his overall production was down. But still, he was 27th in the NBA in scoring (22.0 per game) and second in the NBA in assists (10.3 per game).
Harden would be eligible for a max contract worth more than $50 million per season if he signed a five-year deal.
Reports indicate he is more likely to hammer out a two- or three-year deal with the 76ers.
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