NBA Hoops

Nets need more than ‘culture’ to prove questions stemming from Kevin Durant’s trade demand won’t loom over season

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant speaks during the Nets' media day on Sept. 26, 2022. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

NEW YORK — Kevin Durant was clear … kinda.

Kyrie Irving was charismatic … kinda.

Ben Simmons was encouraging … kinda.

Once basketball resumes, the Brooklyn Nets will be the biggest story in the NBA — ceding that space for the moment due to issues in Boston and Phoenix rightfully taking up more oxygen in this ecosystem.

Before the Nets can go about the business of staking a claim in a conference that hasn’t been this top-to-bottom competitive in perhaps two decades, they must get their own house in order.

There was very little discussion about championship expectations or even avenging the embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Celtics — a slight mention of it, though — because so much attention was focused on how the Nets got here.

And not about where they’re going.

When employing a player of Durant’s talent, championship discussion should be the bare minimum. But the Nets are surrounded by so much other stuff, you wonder if it’ll be possible for them to galvanize themselves for the next eight to nine months.

June is a long way away, with a long and winding road between now and then. Durant voiced his concerns with the Nets, laying out the issues that led to his trade request, and then subsequent retreat once it was clear the Nets had no incentive to move him.

Oh, and along the way he wanted the Nets to fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash as a condition to keep him. It was a sloppy power play, one that resulted in everyone having to kiss and make up — or pretend it wasn’t as damaging as it appeared.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant speaks during the Nets’ media day on Monday. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

Durant termed it a “standoff,” one in which he understood why the Nets were in no rush to trade a man as great as he is with four years left on his contract.

On one hand, he adamantly claims he wants no part of being in charge.

“First of all, I never walk into any GM office, coach office and demand anything. Tell them to sign anybody or run a play for me,” Durant said. “I come in and do my job as a player. A lot of people have it in their minds that I control everything here with the Nets.

“I’m not the liaison between Kyrie and the organization, I always told them that. I told Sean and Kyrie, ‘Y’all gotta build y’all relationship.’ Everybody’s different.”

Durant could honestly believe that, and this space isn’t here to question him. But there’s another side….

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