Kevin Durant is staying in Brooklyn with the Nets, according to Shams Charania. So the last seven weeks of drama was all for naught. Utah Jazz guard Patrick Beverley was not pleased that the drama with KD’s trade request caused the rest of the league to pause while the destination of arguably the league’s best player was decided. Beverley took to Twitter to voice his displeasure, and naturally KD fired back.
Yal can sit and don’t say nothing but that ain’t cool. It’s dudes with families out here who haven’t got a job because of this KD shit. And to be on and off ain’t cool. Blessing Gang🙏🏾🏀
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) August 23, 2022
You knew KD was going to see the tweet from Beverley.
#BLAMEKD https://t.co/BiRhf4nFyr
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 23, 2022
The assertion from Beverley that it wasn’t about KD is hilarious, considering he referenced the seven footer directly.
Damn gang who said I was talking about u. I’m speaking of how it was done. Both sides need keep that private. But noted📝 https://t.co/5T9ITP2Ka2
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) August 23, 2022
It’s unclear what Beverley’s real issue is. Is he really putting on for the journeymen and fringe players looking to get signed? The KD trade drama didn’t impact him. He was sent to the Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves months ago.
Whenever a big name player demands a trade the rest of the transactions in the league slow down and get moved to the back burner. Such is life. KD is an all-timer, a once-in-a-generation player. Of course teams are going to figure out what they can do to add him to their roster.
But the idea that there are guys out there who haven’t been signed because KD was holding up the league is laughable and Beverley is wrong.
All of the league’s smart franchises didn’t allow the KD trade demand to derail their free agency or trade plans. The smart teams simply called the Nets and inquired about the disgruntled superstar. Many of them proposed a trade and when it was rejected by the Nets those smart teams moved on with their business.
In a recent story by Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies “emerged” as a possible suitor to acquire KD. Here is an example of a smart team doing their due diligence but continuing on with their plan.
In a potential trade for KD, the Nets would’ve wanted Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, another rotation player and several draft picks. (Ja Morant is not eligible to be traded to the Nets as he just signed his rookie max extension this summer).
The Grizzlies said Jackson Jr. and Bane are off the table and will not be included in any deal. The Nets insisted and the Grizzlies said thanks but no thanks. The Grizzlies are now free to continue on with their plans.
None of this is complicated. Every team in the NBA called the Nets about KD. Nobody was willing to meet their asking price. The trade market was effectively dead.
As far as Brooklyn and what they will do going forward, the statement released today read in part:
“We have agreed to move forward in our partnership.”
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 23, 2022
KD, along with his business partner, Rich Kleiman, met with general manager Sean Marks, head coach Steve Nash, owners Joe Tsai and his wife Clara Wu Tsai in Los Angeles on Monday and they all agreed the best path forward is together. KD is set to begin the first of a four-year, $198 million extension this season.
