INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 05: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 05, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant remains with the Brooklyn Nets despite requesting a trade.
Amid reports of the superstar issuing an ultimatum to keep him or Sean Marks and Steve Nash, Nets owner Joe Tsai expressed support for the general manager and head coach on Twitter.
While that could place the team’s relationship with Durant at an impasse, the Nets could call the 33-year-old’s bluff since he remains under contract for four more seasons.
Andrew Bogut has a bold way of pressing the issue.
The former center, who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors before they added Durant, said Durant would be “gone the next day” if he tweeted in solidarity with Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Daryl Morey, then the Houston Rockets general manager, sparked tension between the NBA and China when demonstrating support for Hong Kong protesters in 2019. The country dropped games from its feed until earlier this year, threatening a powerful partnership for the league.
Tsai, the co-founder of the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, is especially financially linked to China. ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru determined that 53.5 percent of his net worth is tied to the country.
It’s a sensitive subject for the NBA, so Bogut’s plan would cause a stir far beyond Brooklyn.
Durant has other ways of pushing a trade. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently suggested that he “can see” the four-time scoring champion holding out of training camp if he’s not moved.
.