Kevin Durant trade request timeline: Superstar scorer to return to Nets

Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on June 30, putting one of the greatest players in NBA history is officially on the trade market. Durant is about to a start new four-year contract extension that will pay him $194 million over the course of the deal.

Durant reportedly had two teams on his preferred list of destinations: the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. Each team earned the No. 1 seed in their respective conference in last year’s playoffs, but failed to advance to the NBA Finals.

Durant has now backed off his trade request. He will return to the Brooklyn Nets to start the season.

Rumors of Durant’s potential departure from the Nets started when the franchise refused to give Kyrie Irving the long-term, max contract he was seeking. Instead, Irving opted into the final year of his deal with Brooklyn for $36 million. Durant reportedly requested a trade from the Nets because they would not give Irving the contract he was seeking, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Nets were the overwhelming championship favorites entering last season. Then Irving was unavailable for the majority of the year after refusing to take the Covid vaccine, James Harden demanded a trade and was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers, Joe Harris suffered a season-ending injury, and the Nets — with Durant and Irving on the floor — were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

Brooklyn owes basically all of its future draft picks to the Houston Rockets because of the original Harden trade, so don’t expect the Nets to seeking a full rebuild in this deal.

We are keeping track of every Durant trade rumor in this post until he’s finally dealt. You can bet on his next destination at DraftKings Sportsbook in AZ, CO, IL, LA, NH, ON, OR, WV & WY.

Kevin Durant ends trade request, will return to the Nets

Shams: Grizzlies showing interest in Durant trade

From The Athletic:

Recently, a new team has shown interest in Durant: the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell The Athletic. Fresh off a 56-win season, the Grizzlies have made new inquiries to the Nets about Durant, those sources added. Memphis has five first-round draft picks available (four unprotected selections of its own and one protected via Golden State in 2024) to utilize in a trade as well as young players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler and David Roddy.

Shams writes: “The Grizzlies, so far, do not appear inclined to include Jackson or Bane in a potential offer for Durant, sources said, but rather a package built around their bevy of draft picks.”

Shams: Suns offering Mikal Bridges, draft picks but not close to deal

From The Athletic:

The Phoenix Suns similarly have dangled a package around All-Defensive wing Mikal Bridges and a handful of first-round draft picks, which has not picked up any steam with the Nets, league sources said.

Shams: Durant reiterates trade request, gives Nets ultimatum

From The Athletic:

In a face-to-face meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources with direct knowledge of the meeting tell The Athletic.

Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction, sources said.

Shams: Celtics offered Jaylen Brown-led package for Durant

The Celtics offered Brown, guard Derrick White and a draft pick to the Nets for Durant, sources said. The proposal was rejected, and Brooklyn has asked Boston — in any proposal — to include Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player, those sources added. Currently, the Celtics are less inclined to include Smart along with multiple other player or pick assets, but the franchise is mulling over next steps on how to approach discussions.

No deal for Durant is imminent, and as August and then September loom, the real desire of interested teams will become clear to the Nets.

Windhorst: “The Nets’ preferred situation is for Kevin Durant to stay with them”

More from Windhorst:

“The Nets are just really turned off by what they’ve been offered, and if some of the trade packages that have been floated to me are true, I agree with them. I think that they should expect more for Kevin Durant with four years left on his contract. But the other teams in the league, they just don’t believe that the Nets have a lot of leverage here, despite the fact that Durant has four years on his contract. And the offers that they’re making are reflective of that belief.”

Windhorst: There is no bidding war for Kevin Durant

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says that teams have made their trade offers for Kevin Durant, and don’t feel compelled to keep upping them. Windhorst reports that the Utah have no plans to trade Donovan Mitchell, who is the type of young star that could satisfy the Nets’ demands. Windhorst also said that teams around the league thought the Gobert trade was an overpay, and that they are not willing to offer a comparable haul for Durant.

Goodwill: Nets asked Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and 4 draft picks in Kevin Durant trade

The Wolves said no and eventually traded for Rudy Gobert. But if this is the asking price for Durant, is he really getting moved this summer?

Shams: Nets could bring back Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving next season

Woj: No Kevin Durant trade imminent

Woj: Nets could keep Durant, Irving through offseason

From Nets Daily:

“And they don’t have to trade either,” Woj added. “They’re both under contract. They could bring them back to start the season. I don’t think that’s the ideal scenario for Brooklyn. I think it’s trying to find get the biggest haul of assets they can but again, there’s a lot of time left in this off-season and a lot more talks that are coming.”

Kevin Durant only wants to play for Heat with Butler, Adebayo, Lowry still there

From The Athletic:

As for the Miami possibility that also seems to be in play, I’m told there’s a significant obstacle on that front. Durant, it seems, would only want to play on a Heat team that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. So even if the Heat were willing to move Butler in a deal as a way of satisfying the Nets’ (understandably pricey) request, doing so would leave Durant discontented from the start.

Toronto Raptors ‘lurking’ in Kevin Durant trade, per Woj

Kevin Durant trade: Nets asking for young star and 3 first round picks

The Nets will not accommodate Kyrie Irving’s wishes in trade

From Windhorst (via RealGM):

“Also, the Nets have no interest in accommodating Kyrie Irving. They have no interest in doing it. If it comes up maybe a three-team trade or a four-team trade to get the Nets satisfied with what they want. To get them maybe a start. To take draft picks from Phoenix and reroute them somewhere else... Kyrie might get thrown into that four-team trade just as salary ballast. He’s going to be used a tool to help the Nets. He is not going to be used for a player to trade for value. Very unlikely you’re going to get anything of value. Maybe a draft pick or two. And he’s not going to be used to accommodate.

“He’s going to have to sit and wait for the Durant situation to play out whether it takes three days or three weeks. And that’s just the reality of it. But in the end of it, when all that smoke clears, it is true he could be a Laker. That’s definitely still on the table.”

Kevin Durant trade timeline: “It could happen in the next few days. I could take two weeks.”

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said a Durant trade is not imminent. He also said Nets owner Joe Tsai wants a team that chases 40 wins

“The billionaire owner Joe Tsai would rather have a team that plays hard that he’s proud to own that wins 40 games and fights for the play-in than have a team that has way more talent that he’s not proud to be a part of,” according to Windhorst. Watch the full video here

Durant listed the Suns and Heat as preferred destinations, per Woj

Kevin Durant requested a trade from Nets because Kyrie Irving wasn’t given long-term contract from Brooklyn

The Nets will trade Kyrie Irving in addition to Kevin Durant, per Woj

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could be traded to the same team, but it’s unlikely, per Woj

The Lakers are the only realistic destination for both Durant and Irving

Kyrie Irving is telling people he’s going to the Lakers

“More than half the league has called about Durant,” per Woj

The Nets are interested in Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, but can’t legally trade for either because of Ben Simmons

The Mavericks are expected to pursue Kyrie Irving after losing Jalen Brunson, per report

The Suns are focused on Kevin Durant

Suns trade offer for Kevin Durant starts with Deandre Ayton

We’ll update this story as it develops.