Kevin Durant meets with Nets' owner Joe Tsai, offers ultimatum: report
Durant signed a four-year, $198 million contract extension with the Nets last year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There is something that might keep Kevin Durant in Brooklyn a little while longer, but general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash might not like the tradeoff.
The 12-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion met with Nets owner Joe Tsai in London over the weekend to discuss the reports surrounding Durant and the organization, and Durant has leveraged his place on the roster against that of Marks and Nash, The Athletic reported.
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) talks to coach Steve Nash during the first half of the game against the Indiana Pacers, Oct. 29, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Brooklyn reportedly has "direct knowledge" of the reasons why Durant wanted out of the organization and will continue to be "resolute in his stance."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SHAQ SOUNDS OFF ON KEVIN DURANT’S LEADERSHIP: ‘YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE IT WORK’
A year after signing a four-year, $198 million contract extension, Durant requested a trade from the Nets in June. He has been linked to a number of teams but most notably the Boston Celtics. All-Star Jaylen Brown and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart have been the two names floated in a possible deal.
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, center, speaks to Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, May 17, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who won a gold medal alongside Durant at the 2020 Summer Olympics, told The Athletic in an interview published Monday that he isn’t concerning himself with offseason moves — just weeks after saying that while Durant is a "great player, he "love[s] our team."
"The cool part about his job is Brad [Stevens] don’t tell me how to do my job anymore. You not the coach," Tatum said of his former head coach-turned president of basketball operations. "He lets me do my thing. I let him do his thing. In all honesty, that’s his decision and that’s his job."
Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, left, dribbles past Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, March 10, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the playoffs this season, and according to the report, Durant questioned the team's direction in his conversation with Tsai.