This NBA offseason has been dominated by the ongoing news that Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant wanted to be traded and was unhappy with the culture and direction of the team.
Although several teams reportedly had interest in him, the Nets’ asking price was extremely high, and thus there was no actual movement towards consummating a deal.
But now, Nets general manager Sean Marks has issued a statement that asserts Durant has recommitted to the team and will be staying put.
Via ESPN:
“[Coach] Steve Nash and I, together with [governors] Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” Marks said in a statement. “We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”
Barring a change of heart by Durant, what does this mean for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers?
The Lakers' pursuit of Kyrie Irving is over
The Lakers have been trying to acquire Durant’s star teammate Kyrie Irving throughout the summer but to no avail.
According to multiple reports, one of the reasons L.A. was unsuccessful was its reluctance to include more than one future first-round draft pick in a potential trade for him.
If Durant is indeed going to stay in Brooklyn, the team has seemingly no reason to trade Irving.
The only thing that could possibly change that stance is Irving’s attempt at getting a contract extension. He is going into the final year of his current contract, and there is always the chance that if his camp cannot come to terms with the Nets on a new deal, they may be open to trading him in order to get some value for him on the open market.
But at least for now, the Lakers will have to regroup and look at other trade targets.
