Report: Kevin Durant reaffirms trade request from Nets, ‘does not have faith in team’s direction’

Roughly five weeks since Kevin Durant’s trade request became public, the superstar wing met with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai on Saturday and maintained his desire to play elsewhere, according to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

“(He) informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash,” Charania wrote. “Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction.”

Charania wrote that Brooklyn “engaged in conversations with almost every team in the league” immediately following Durant’s trade request on June 30. But nobody is yet to meet the Nets’ “sky-high” asking price in return for the superstar forward.

The Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat “remain the most significant candidates to acquire Durant,” Charania wrote. “Tsai and the Nets have made clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant.”

According to Charania, Durant “has grown close” with Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who was a member of Brooklyn’s coaching staff in 2020-21, as well as Team USA during last summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

As all of this relates to the Philadelphia 76ers, Durant landing in Boston, Toronto or Miami would certainly be a detriment to the Sixers and notably reshape the conference outlook. The return package is important, but it’s hard not to see any of these teams at least on par with Philadelphia if they end up trading for Durant.