On paper, there seems to be little question about the playing future of 12-time All-Star Kevin Durant in the closing days of summer.
While reports surfaced in late June that Durant requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets, the Nets confirmed last week that the two sides agreed to “move forward with our partnership” until further notice.
As Hall of Famer Charles Barkley recently pointed out, however, Durant — or “Mr. Miserable,” per Barkley’s description — has a history of becoming unsettled at any given time, so it’s understandable some may believe the 33-year-old could again ask the Nets to move him during training camp or the 2022-23 NBA season.
Per Tim Bontemps of ESPN, a panel of 15 NBA coaches, scouts and executives was asked a handful of questions for an offseason survey. Thirteen of those individuals said they believe Durant will still be with the Nets one day after the trade deadline.
“A lot of teams are like, ‘We aren’t getting what we want,’ but they’ll eventually settle,” a Western Conference scout said. “If you’re not settling for [Boston Celtics forward] Jaylen Brown, you’re not trading the guy. I think they’re doing this and you’re hearing all this because they want people to know unless you blow our doors off, we’re just not doing it.
“I think it’s to show Durant, ‘Hey, we tried, but we couldn’t get value, so we’re keeping you. Sorry.'”
Durant and the Nets agreed to a four-year, $198 million extension last August that kicks in for the upcoming campaign.
One Western Conference executive predicted Durant will be with the Celtics before the NBA playoffs begin because “Jaylen Brown is the best player” the Nets can get in a trade. Meanwhile, an Eastern Conference scout thinks the Phoenix Suns can land Durant once “Deandre Ayton can be moved.”
As Trevor Booth noted for Bright Side of the Sun, Ayton was mentioned among potential trade assets for Phoenix to acquire Durant.
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